Year of Yes
This Book Is for You If…
✔ You find yourself not doing things because they feel scary.
✔ You tend to say no to opportunities that push you outside your comfort zone.
✔ You want encouragement to show up more boldly and fully as yourself.
This book is an invitation to stop letting fear run your life and start saying yes to the things that help you grow.
The Courage to Say Yes to Your Life
Book Review & Reflection by Lindsay Smith, LCSW
Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person
by Shonda Rhimes
Mood of the Book:
Honest, Bold, Inspiring
5 Gems to Fuel Growth…
Growth happens when we say yes to what scares us.
The shift I needed: Fear doesn’t mean stop. Often it means step forward.
One of the most powerful ideas in this book is the realization that many of the opportunities we decline are not actually wrong for us. They simply feel uncomfortable. Fear convinces us to stay where we are because it feels safer, even when staying small costs us more in the long run.
For years, people encouraged me to step into public speaking. Every time the idea surfaced, I felt the fear immediately. Standing in front of an audience felt terrifying. So I avoided it. Recently, I decided to say yes.
I invested in training, began developing my talks, and started stepping into spaces that once would have felt impossible. And what I’m discovering is exactly what this book reminds us: fear often dissolves as we move through it.
Saying yes did not magically remove the discomfort. But it did reveal something deeper. The courage was already there. It simply needed an opportunity to show itself.
Stop shrinking to make others comfortable.
The shift I needed: We get to take up space and use our voice.
As a child, I was often told I was too loud or too bossy. Messages like that can shape how we move through the world. Without realizing it, we begin to shift who we are, to hold back parts of ourselves so others feel more comfortable.
Over time, I realized something ironic about my life. The same traits that once got labeled negatively became strengths when I stepped into leadership.
I built and led two successful counseling centers. I made decisions. I guided teams. I spoke up when something mattered. In other words, I became a boss.
The qualities that once felt like flaws were actually leadership traits waiting to be used. This book reinforces a powerful reminder: confidence grows when we embrace who we are.
We don’t have to shrink our presence to fit someone else’s expectations. Owning our voice is not arrogance. It is alignment.
We can lose ourselves one “no” at a time.
The shift I needed: Life becomes more fulfilling when we allow space for joy and connection.
When I first started my business, I worked constantly. When invitations came up—dinners, gatherings, catching up with friends—I often declined. It felt responsible at the time. Work came first.
But something subtle started happening. Eventually, the invitations slowed down. Then they stopped. People assumed I wasn’t interested or available. And in many ways, I had unintentionally trained them to believe that.
It was a painful realization. I saw how easily life can narrow when work becomes the only priority.
Rebuilding those connections required intention. I had to start saying yes again—to conversations, shared experiences, and moments that had nothing to do with productivity.
This book highlights an important truth: life expands when we participate in it. When we allow room for joy, connection, and play, we don’t lose focus. We become more energized for the work that matters.
Being willing to be a beginner keeps us growing.
The shift I needed: Excellence in one area does not mean we stop learning in others.
When you spend years building expertise, it’s easy to become accustomed to competence. You know what you’re doing. You move efficiently. You feel confident.
Starting something new disrupts that comfort.
Right now, I’m working on improving my memory and learning to speed read. And let me tell you, it’s been humbling. Techniques that look simple on paper take consistent practice to integrate.
But there’s also something refreshing about it.
Being a beginner reminds me that growth never ends, and that’s exciting to me. It invites curiosity instead of perfection. Instead of expecting immediate mastery, I’m learning to appreciate the process of getting better little by little.
This book highlights how powerful it can be to intentionally place ourselves in situations where we don’t yet excel.
Because when we do, something important happens. We rediscover the joy of learning. And that mindset keeps our lives expanding long after external success has arrived.
Sometimes the bravest yes is stepping into the unknown.
The shift I needed: Growth often requires releasing the life that once fit us.
One of the biggest yeses of my life was also one of the scariest.
After fifteen years of building and running my counseling centers, I made the decision to sell the businesses. Those centers had been a huge part of my identity. They represented years of effort, growth, and purpose.
And yet, deep down, I knew that chapter was complete.
What made the decision especially difficult was this: I had no clear plan for what would come next. I had always been someone who planned carefully. But this time, I chose to trust life instead.
That decision, while uncomfortable, created space for new opportunities, new directions, and a deeper sense of alignment.
Sometimes saying yes means stepping away from what is familiar. But when we trust life’s timing, we often discover that our path begins revealing itself once we are brave enough to take the first step.
My 3 Core Ratings (1-5)
This book was incredibly fun to read. Shonda Rhimes is obviously (from all her hit shows!) an extremely engaging storyteller, and her stories made me laugh, reflect, and think about my own life in new ways. It felt honest, playful, and energizing from beginning to end.
While I was already practicing some of these ideas in my own life, it provided powerful reminders and motivation to keep saying yes and keep stepping into fear so I can fully and unapologetically live my life.
The concept of saying yes sounds simple, but acting on it requires courage and determination. Moving toward the things that scare us takes practice. The reward, however, is worth the discomfort.
Mic Drop Moment:
“I am someone who finally understands that the biggest risk
isn't changing your life—it’s staying in a life that is too small
for who you are becoming.”
– Shonda Rhimes
Notes, Nudges & Nuggets:
✔ Notice the difference between saying yes because something expands you and saying yes because you feel obligated. One leads to growth. The other leads to depletion. Learning that difference is powerful.
✔ If you want to become more confident, start by doing the thing before you feel ready. Confidence often shows up after the action, not before it.
✔ Surround yourself with people who celebrate your growth instead of feeling threatened by it. The right people will encourage your expansion.
✔ Try a simple experiment: for the next week, pause before automatically saying no. Ask yourself, Am I declining this because it’s wrong for me… or because it scares me?
If you’re thinking about picking up this book—or doing any Amazon shopping—clicking through my link helps support future reviews at no extra cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!
Final Reflection:
Growth often begins with a single decision
to step beyond what feels comfortable.
_________________________
Where might life be inviting you to say yes right now?
Want to keep discovering books that have the power to change how we live, lead, and love?
If you'd like to keep growing alongside me, sign up to get thoughtful personal and business development book reviews delivered straight to your inbox.
Inspired by something here?
I’d love to hear how it connected with your journey - feel free to drop me a note.