By Kara-Leah Grant, Musings from the Mat
Editor’s Note: Forty Days of Yoga has now launched. You can buy it here.
Oh yes… last night at 8pm I was already to go.
The landing page was ready, the email out to the book launch folk was ready, I had an article scheduled for The Yoga Lunchbox and all the files had been proofed, formated, exported and zipped.
Time to launch!
I did the competition draw and sent out a free link to the book to the three winners, Anita Anderson, Jacqui Gee and Seka Ojdrovic-Phillips.
Within minutes I’d had a message from E-Junkie, the service handling the payments and downloads of the book.
This is a notification that you are selling a download for Forty Days of Yoga Multi-Format Download but it does not have a file uploaded.
What!
Scramble. I’d uploaded the file at 7pm. Check the product information. No file. Maybe it hadn’t worked because I hadn’t had enough storage space on my plan. Delete old products check file space. Re-upload.
Fail.
Damn. Fire a quick email off to the ten or so people I’d sent links to asking them to hold fire on accessing the file.
Re-upload.
Fail.
Again.
Fail.
It’s now 10pm. I’m shattered.
For reasons unknown, my 80MB zipped folder containing multi-formats of my book won’t load.
I have enough space. I buy more, just in case. I switch browsers, just in case. I try a plain text file, checking the upload. The text file uploads.
Re-upload the 80MB zipped folder using a different browser.
Fail.
11pm. Time for bed and Yoga Nidra.
So much for launching in January.
But that’s ok you know, it’s just what happens. I’m sure with a fresh brain I can work this out in the morning.
Up at 6:45am. It’s now three hours later. I’ve downsized the file to 40MB, I’ve tried re-starting my computer, I’ve deleted the product and created a brand new product and tried uploading to that.
Fail.
Fail.
Fail.
I’m aware as I go through this process of how I’m feeling – defeated, super-tired, drained – this is not how I wanted to feel the day I launched my book. I turn loud dance music on and take a shower. My mood lifts. I start laughing. As I’m standing in the shower I realise that:
No one ever failed to launch a product because they couldn’t upload a file. The product always launches.
There is always a solution.
That’s it! There is always a solution.
And I know this – this is what Forty Days of Yoga is all about.
You may think that you can’t practice yoga at home on a regular basis because of X, Y and Z… but there is always a solution. If you’re willing to find it. If you’re willing to keep trying different things. If you’re willing to be creative. If you’re willing to let go of the result you’re trying to attain.
Your yoga practice might not be able to look the way you think it will look, but if you want to practice, there is always a way to practice, no matter what is going on in your life.
I will get this file uploaded.
If I have to find a new service instead of e-junkie (I’m off to do research now), I will get this book launched.
There are still some avenues to try – I’ve emailed the E-Junkie support crew a Dropbox link of the file (it uploaded to that fine) so they can upload it. If that doesn’t work… well, E-Junkie obviously can’t be the right service for me.
In the middle of all this trouble-shooting and solution-finding I remind myself to breathe. To sit for a moment and watch the clouds over the mountains. To time out to dance and to practice yoga.
This moment will never come again and contracting and resisting against it only serves to harm me.
So I can’t up-load my book.
So I can’t start my book launch.
So it’s not what I wanted.
So how will I choose to experience this – that’s the important part. That’s where I have choice. That’s where I create my experience. That’s where I am a Creator.
I choose to relax, and soften, and trust, and breathe.
This is process.
This is yoga.
This is all we ever have.
***
Just had an email from Seka. I sent her a Dropbox link. She was able to download and unzip the files perfectly and she’s stoked.
Yes!!!
Now back to e-junkie….
Hell yeah, I’m stoked!
Yeah! I’m stoked you’re stoked! I laughed when I saw your name come up – of all the people to win I’m glad it’s you! You were number 175 on my list, and numbers 8, 82 & 175 came up.
don’t you love computers !, same sort of thing happened to me last thursday, thank goodness yoga is not like that , fail fail fail ,, just a process to follow ,succeed, fail ,succeed, whatever….. Best Wishes from Vancouver
Hey Mike,
I’ve learned so much from dealing with computers and websites over the last few years… solution-based thinking! There’s always a way… so true.
Have done my research and just successfully up-loaded the file first time on DPD.com Yes!!!!!! Now to fill in the rest of the information etc… I’m getting there!
Oh, in more strangeness…
I get the file uploaded in DPD only to discover I can’t price my product in NZ dollars, only US. Major dilemma. I’m a New Zealander, I want it in NZ dollars.
Pause. Contemplate. Decide to go for it anyway.
Head back to e-Junkie to retrieve text for emails and notice that MY FILE HAS UPLOADED. It’s just sitting there, all nonchalant where it’s supposed to be.
Did Customer Support upload it after all and not tell me?
Regardless, I ditch DPD with their no NZ dollars, head back to E-Junkie, text the file download, finish the product information, add the new link to my landing page and….
Launch my book!
Yeah!!!!
I like the “solution based approach”, calm, collected information , and moved on…
If only last Thurday for me, I just had to sleep on it , and bingo , next morning, no problems ,,,,,
Yes, true, always learning …. actually , thats why I got out of computer support , I am only interested in computers as a tool, not an end in themselves
rock on
Mike
Go you yogini author! Awe-some! Wahe Guru!
As my old boss used say back in the day ” computers huh …. bigger mistakes faster ”
Pleased to see you have entered the ranks of famous published folk, congratulations K-L.
I would also be keen on a printed copy, sort of like a real book 🙂 and if it was autographed then that would be perfect.
Hey Uncle Brian (can I call you that?),
Thank you – and great, a real book in on it’s way… working toward print as we speak. (Read? Type?)
And yes, autographed copies are a possibility 😉
KL
Great post KL 🙂 I love how you can always make us see the life message in something that appears to be an impossible struggle or block. Can’t wait to read this, have been really looking forward to it! Dx
Hey Diane,
Well I figure, if things are tough, might as well learn something from it… Enjoy the book!
KL