Talks to Motivate You Playlist (1/10): My year of saying yes to everything | Shonda Rhimes
4Digest
This podcast explores Shonda Rhimes' transformative "Year of Yes" experiment, where she committed to saying yes to fears, leading to profound personal growth and the rediscovery of "the hum." Initially equating "the hum" with intense work and productivity as a television "Titan," Rhimes experienced burnout when it ceased. She found renewed passion and a redefined "hum" through prioritizing play with her children, realizing that joy, love, and life's excitement are its true sources. Embracing less work and more play, even 15 minutes daily, proved transformative for well-being and effectiveness.
Outlines
The Year of Yes and Rediscovering "The Hum"
Shonda Rhimes introduces her "Year of Yes" experiment, a journey of confronting fears that led to the discovery of "the hum," a state of deep engagement. She later experienced burnout when this feeling faded, prompting a reevaluation. Rhimes found a new "hum" by embracing play with her children, redefining it not as work, but as joy, love, and life's excitement, ultimately advocating for a balance of less work and more play for greater happiness and effectiveness.
From Workaholic Titan to Embracing Play
Rhimes details her demanding career as a television producer, the immense pressure, and the initial definition of "the hum" as a euphoric state tied to intense creative work. After experiencing burnout when "the hum" ceased, she rediscovered joy and a new "hum" through playing with her children. This led to a profound realization that play is the opposite of work and essential for well-being, prompting her to establish a rule of always saying yes to playing with her children, freeing herself from workaholic guilt and finding greater happiness.
Keywords
The Hum
A euphoric state of deep engagement and passion experienced during creative work. Initially associated with Shonda Rhimes' intense productivity, it later evolved to represent joy, love, and life's electricity.
Year of Yes
An experiment where Shonda Rhimes committed to saying "yes" to everything that scared her, leading to personal growth, overcoming fears, and rediscovering her passion for work and life.
Workaholic Guilt
The persistent feeling of guilt experienced by individuals who work excessively, often stemming from a perceived neglect of personal life, family, or self-care. Rhimes used the "yes to play" rule to combat this.
Burnout
A state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. Rhimes experienced burnout when "the hum" ceased, leading to a loss of passion.
Play
An essential activity for well-being and rediscovering joy. Rhimes found that prioritizing play, especially with her children, helped combat burnout and redefine "the hum."
Q&A
What is "the hum" as described by Shonda Rhimes?
"The hum" is a feeling of intense passion and engagement experienced during creative work. Initially, Rhimes equated it with her drive as a "Titan," but later redefined it as the joy, love, and electricity derived from life itself.
How did Shonda Rhimes overcome burnout and rediscover her passion?
By embracing a "Year of Yes" and prioritizing play, especially saying "yes" to her children's requests to play. This shift helped her combat workaholic guilt and reconnect with the true source of joy and fulfillment.
What is the significance of the "Year of Yes" experiment?
The "Year of Yes" was a transformative experiment where Rhimes confronted her fears by saying yes to them. This led to personal growth, overcoming social anxiety and public speaking fears, and ultimately rediscovering "the hum."
How does Rhimes redefine "the hum" towards the end of the talk?
Rhimes redefines "the hum" from being work-specific to being joy-specific and love-specific. It represents confidence, peace, and the electricity of being excited by life, rather than solely the drive of a "Titan."
Show Notes
Shonda Rhimes, the titan behind Grey's Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder, is responsible for some 70 hours of television per season, and she loves to work. "When I am hard at work, when I am deep in it, there is no other feeling," she says. She has a name for this feeling: The hum. The hum is a drug, the hum is music, the hum is God's whisper in her ear. But what happens when it stops? Is she anything besides the hum? In this moving talk, join Rhimes on a journey through her "year of yes" and find out how she got her hum back.
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