“No is a complete sentence.” Shonda Rhimes

Aside from bringing us award-winning TV shows that constantly keeps us glued to our seats, we also love Shonda Rhimes because of the words of wisdom she dishes out.

How many women feel obliged to say ‘yes’ to everything and when they do say no, they must always find a way to justify that ‘no’? We love the way Shonda puts it, “No is a complete sentence.”

It’s ok to say, “No, I am not able to do that.”

In Shonda’s words, “It is very hard to say that to people. It is very interesting how wired we are to tell somebody 1000 reasons why we can’t do something for them, as if you are required to defend your nice-ness. That was a hard one. It was one I struggled with over the years to get right. 

Will saying ‘no’ cost you friends? Yes it will. This is Shonda;s experience: “I lost some friends in the course of the year and it was painful. But it was also really freeing. I have been happier over the course of the year than I ever have, partially because I found that I am not doing things that I didn’t want to do.”

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