Quote Of The Day By Shonda Rhimes: 'I Am Not Lucky. You Know What I Am? I Am...'

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For Shonda Rhimes, the allure of the pen was always too strong to resist. Even more so was the prospect of writing for the big screen. And while she did make a great career out of it, hints of her future success were visible from childhood. Born in 1970, Rhimes' parents were shining examples to look up to, with her mother carving out a career in academia and her father working at a university. Drawn towards writing, it comes as no surprise that Rhimes chose to study creative writing at Dartmouth College. But her true passion was screenwriting, and she graduated from the University of Southern California with the credentials necessary to excel at her desired career.

Rhimes slowly worked her way to the top, having written for "The Princess Diaries 2" and "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge." But a spark of inspiration drove her to create 2005's "Grey's Anatomy," which is a great show for representing coming out as LGBTQ+ later in life. It was this show that launched Rhimes to stardom and netted her three Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe. She continued to showcase her writing and creative talents with the shows "Scandal" and "How To Get Away With Murder." Rhimes was even responsible for bringing "Bridgerton" to the small screen — one of five popular Netflix shows that were based on books, proving that she's also adept at making adaptations.

For Rhimes, her success was no accident. She made it to the big league because of sheer grit and work ethic, which is why her words serve as today's quote of the day.

"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 bad***." Shonda Rhimes wrote these bold and inspiring words as part of her inspiring memoir, "Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person." Based on what she said, it's clear Rhimes wanted to make certain everyone knew that she got to where she is today thanks to her own efforts. 

In short, things didn't fall into her lap. She had no family connections to call on to help her and had to make it in the entertainment industry on her own merit. And she certainly proved to the world that she had everything she needed to make herself a success. 

Shonda Rhimes isn't messing around when it comes to pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. The master screenwriter wants the world to understand that everyone has agency, and that where we are at in life is due to the choices we make. And while luck does come into play once in a while, it's best not to wholly rely on it to pull you through in life. What's more, Rhimes' words push us to acknowledge and nurture our innate talents and use them to the fullest.

But success doesn't just come from skill alone. The seasoned television producer firmly believes that having a strong work ethic is a huge contributing factor in reaching success. And if you're truly passionate about your career and determined to get to the top of the ladder, then it's really time to get serious. 

• "I thought when you reach that point where you're that comfortable, it's time to try something new."
• "When I started writing TV shows, I wanted to represent everybody, because it should look like the real world. It should feel normal when you turn on the television and see people who look like you."
• "There's a problem with the idea that a movie that stars a white guy is a movie but if it stars a female then it's a female-driven movie, or if it stars a black person, it's a black film. There is something inherently ignorant about that."
• "It's nice that [my daughters] understand that women go to work and enjoy it, and that you can have a business and be in charge."
• "Dreams do not come true just because you dream them — it's hard work that makes things happen ... Ditch the dream and be a doer, not a dreamer."