“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.”
Shonda Rhimes, creator, writer, and producer of the ABC hits Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and How to Get Away with Murder. Shonda signed an exclusive multi-year development deal with Netflix, under which all of her future productions will be Original series. Her first Netflix show Bridgerton was an instant hit, it became the most-watched series on Netflix at the time of its premiere, and remains the second most-watched series by total watch time on the platform. 1
In her speech, Shonda describes the difference between Dreaming and Doing, the power of trade-offs, having a bias for action and relentlessly pursing your goals. She writes about the 2014 Dartmouth College Commencement speech in her 2016 Book – Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person.
With three children at home and three hit television shows, it was easy for Shonda to say she was simply too busy. But in truth, she was also afraid. And then, over Thanksgiving dinner, her sister muttered something that was both a wake up and a call to arms: You never say yes to anything. Shonda knew she had to embrace the challenge: for one year, she would say YES to everything that scared her.