Shonda Rhimes, Goddess, Has Useful Advice For Us Mere Mortals

It's probably not wise to take advice from a Shonda Rhimes character — they don't always make the best decisions. But listening to Rhimes herself is a completely different story. In a recent Cosmopolitan feature, Rhimes, author of the new book Year of Yes, doles out some wonderful wisdom for young women. One suggestion that's going to become our new mantra? "Like yourself too much." Rhimes highlights the different ways men and women TV writers will talk about their ambitions. While men will declare, "I want to run my own show or take over a network," women will undersell their goals by saying, "Oh, I want to work for somebody great and really learn." Rhimes argues that, "So many women look for permission. Men don't — they just do it. Decide the only person whose opinion matters is yours. Don't be a sociopath about it, but stop worrying people are going to think you 'like yourself too much.' Please, god, like yourself too much!" Duly noted. Rhimes also counsels women to enlist their friends and "make a pact...not to turn into clones." She says that women shouldn't change their appearance because of what they think is attractive to potential romantic partners. "I felt like I'd failed, that something was wrong with me, because I didn't want to get married," she said. "We have to stop trying to live somebody else's idea of our life." So, you got that down? "Like yourself too much" and don't be a "clone."