Shonda Rhimes is the creator, writer, and head producer of shows like "Grey's Anatomy," "Private Practice," and "Scandal." More recently, she created the hit shows "Bridgerton" and "Inventing Anna." She's also the bestselling author of the New York Times bestseller "The Year Of Yes," and she has her own production company, Shondaland.
In other words, Rhimes has an incredibly impressive resume—and that may because she's excellent at giving herself a pep talk. Want to take a page out of Shonda's book? Give these 40 quotes a read.
Shonda Rhimes Quotes
1. "Every 'yes' changes something in me. Every 'yes' is a bit more transformative. Every 'yes' sparks some new phase of revolution."
2. “There are stories to be told that are still untold and characters to be portrayed that haven't been portrayed correctly. So there's work to be done.”
3. “There's nothing wrong with being driven. And there's nothing wrong with putting yourself first to reach your goals.”
4. “Badassery, I’m discovering, is a new level of confidence—in both yourself and those around you.”
5. “I am on my own mountain standing in my own sun.”
6. “Everyone’s got some greatness in them. You do. The girl over there does. That guy on the left has some. But in order to really mine it, you have to own it. You have to grab hold of it. You have to believe it.”
7. “It's important to have people who are absolutely willing to say you're wrong or who have a totally different perspective than you do on everything. Fresh ideas are hard to come by, and good ones are even harder.”
8. “If I don't poke my head out of my shell and show people who I am, all anyone will ever think I am is my shell.”
9. “I want my daughters to see me and know me as a woman who works. I want that example set for them. I like how proud they are when they come to my offices and know that they come to Shondaland.”
10. "You can quit a job. I can’t quit being a mother. I’m a mother forever."
11. “Dreams are lovely. But they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral. Pretty. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change.”
12. "Anyone who tells you they are doing it all perfectly is a liar."
13. “I don’t think of myself as a television producer. Obviously, that’s crazy. Because I should. That’s what I do. But I don’t actually see that as my job. It’s why my business cards say ‘storyteller.'”
14. “My dreams did not come true. But I worked really hard. And I ended up building an empire out of my imagination.”
15. “Not a single woman in the room could handle being told, 'You’re awesome.' I couldn’t handle being told I am awesome. What in the hell is wrong with us?”
16. “I am not lucky. You know what I am? I am smart, I am talented, I take advantage of the opportunities that come my way and I work really, really hard. Don’t call me lucky. Call me a badass.”
17. "If you want crappy things to stop happening to you, then stop accepting crap and demand something more."
18. “I keep getting asked how I write about such smart, strong women, and my response is, what’s the alternative? Weak, stupid women? They’re just normal people, not role models – if you’re aspiring to be like any of them, something’s a little bit wrong. You may want to dress like one or have her job, but do not aspire to be her!”
19. “My favorite thing to do is rip the covers off a script when reading for writers to hire and make everybody read without names on the covers of the script. I can’t tell you how many times my writers, women and men, will pick people of color and women much more often than they would with a cover on the script.”
20. "Happiness comes from being who you actually are instead of who you think you are supposed to be."
21. “I am different. I am an original. And like everyone else, I am here to take up space in the universe.”
22. "When you negate someone’s compliment, you are telling them they are wrong. You’re telling them they wasted their time."
23. “You can’t tell stories and really walk in someone’s shoes and not have a love for them, even if they’re doing horrible things.”
24. "Perfect is boring, and dreams are not real. Just DO."
25. "Hate diminishes, love expands."
26. "Once I stopped expecting to like it, once I stopped demanding that losing weight be easy or pleasant, once I stopped waiting for the band to start playing, paying attention to what went into my mouth became tolerable."
27. "The best stories are often true…The narrative of human life is most beautiful when told truthfully and without boundaries.”
28. “People really do not like it when you decide to step off the road and climb the mountain instead. It seems to make even the people who mean well nervous.”
29. “Maybe you know exactly what it is you dream of being, or maybe you’re paralyzed because you have no idea what your passion is. The truth is, it doesn’t matter. You don’t have to know, you just have to keep moving forward. You just have to keep doing something, seizing the next opportunity, staying open to trying something new.”
30. "Everything sounds like crap until you are in the right mindset."
31. "Sometimes a broken woman needs the red wine more."
32. “You want to be a writer? A writer is someone who writes every day, so start writing. You don’t have a job? Get one. Any job. Don’t sit at home waiting for the magical opportunity. Who are you? Prince William? No. Get a job. Go to work. Do something until you can do something else.”
33. “Cheesecake will always taste like love.”
34. "When I've led stuff, the hardest thing for me to overcome has been my natural desire to run and hide. I'm very proud of the fact that I have been able to do that.”
35. “I don't put up with bullshit or nasty people. I don't have time for it.”
36. “Leave no mom behind, soldiers. And even with help...I’m still in the trenches. Nobody has this thing figured out.”
37. "Don’t apologize. Don’t explain. Don’t ever feel less than. When you feel the need to apologize or explain who you are, it means the voice in your head is telling you the wrong story. Wipe the slate clean. And rewrite it."
38. “It is time to stop standing at the edges of rooms. Hugging the walls. Living in my head. Wishing I had something to say.”
39. "Happy, whole people are drawn to happy, whole people, but nothing makes a toxic person more miserable and destructive than a happy, whole person.”
40. “This is who I am. Silent. Quiet. Interior. More comfortable with books than new situations.”
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