Let me start this post by saying, the last few weeks for me have been exceptional. It's been so good that I made a list of everything that's happened just so I wouldn't miss it or let it be overshadowed by the one thing that might feel less than amazing.
Like the fact that a page in your book is missing.
Like the fact that the first 5,000 of your printed books will also have that same page missing.
For a moment there, a mistake like this on years worth of work could easily overshadow all the other incredible things happening. It really could, right? But it shouldn't. And that simply comes down to a decision, a choice to see this experience in a different light.
If so many areas of my life are going well, and this happens right smack in the middle of all the amazing I choose to interpret it as something that's also going right.
Really.
And this is why. In life, have you noticed that the one negative remark stands out over all of the positive ones, or the one mistake trumps all of the other things that have gone right. Why do we do that to ourselves? Just like in the news, the tiny percent of bad news trumps all of the incredible good news that's happening on our planet everyday. We just take all of the good for granted and then when one thing seemingly goes wrong, everything else goes down with it. Or maybe I'm the only one that does this?
I'm not doing it anymore. And honestly this experience with a missing page in my book is kind of what sealed the deal for me on that.
Don't get me wrong. It's a big mistake. A mistake that I don't think anyone thought could happen. I was super disappointed when I found it, talked to my publisher about it and learned that for the first printing, nothing would be done to fix it. The perfectionist in me had a hard time with this, and so did the entrepreneur and person who wants everything her customer gets to be just right. And yet the business owner in me also understood, that a publisher probably wasn't going to just eat the cost of 5,000 books with one page missing, especially for a new, relatively unknown author. Because believe me, I asked if this would happen to John Grisham? or J.K. Rowling? :) Also because the rest of the book is all there and beautifully printed.
So I had a choice, I could take years with of work that I'm incredibly proud of and celebrate it or I could whine and carry on about how my first book had one page left out. I could let one page overshadow all of the other pages.
The irony {or perfect coincidence} is that I write about mistakes in the book. In fact I'm sure I've mentioned my philosopy of mistakes many times here on my blog. In my chapter "Redefining the Role of Perfection" I talk about how 'mistakes' happen and how I've learned to embrace them because they always add to the piece, always making it better. This is harder to say on this one because I feel like part of my art is missing, and it is. So how does a missing page make this creation better?
I've been thinking for weeks now about the best way to share this with you and I thought this is it. This is the best example for me to walk the walk. Embracing the mistakes and celebrating all of the rest. A chance for me to make a new choice. If I genuinely approach this experience with understanding, honesty and grace then maybe it can set an example for all of us to do more of this in our lives. And if that happens, then the mistake in my book has just become something way more relevant than the page that is missing.
Because really do we want to spend all of our energy frustrated with what's not working or what's gone wrong or be serious about focusing on what is working and all that is right, and love our life more. I want to love my life more. As I've mentioned, I made a new commitment to myself at the beginning of 2012, and it has made all of the difference.
And without getting too carried away with the 'tragedy' of a missing a page, I say that with sarcasm. It's only a missing page, that's all. It's not the end of the world. And in light of what so many are experiencing on the east coast this past week, I mean really. Nothing's gone wrong at all. It's awkward to even write about this now, but my books are getting ready to ship soon and it feels right to share this with you today.
I did all I could do in this past year to get this book 'perfect' for you. What I approved and sent back to my editor did not have a page missing. Yet, at the end of the day we are all human and mistakes happen. There may even be more tucked into this book that we haven't found yet?{shoot, there were at least 5 mistakes in this blog post when I went to publish it} And I say 'we' because clearly writing a published book is a collaboration. It's a huge collaboration, one that has many check points and many eyes overseeing the process, and everyone in that process {well almost everyone} is hoping to get the best product made and out in the world. Yet even with all of those check points in place, one person can accidentally upload the wrong page to the printer. So really, in all of our combined attempts to get it just right, what can you do? Nothing. Other than...
We can strive to do the best we can and then we have to let it go, so it can become what it needs to be in the world. This is applicable to so much in life and relating to today's topic, this is especially true of our art.
I'm sad that the first books you will receive are missing one of my favorite pages, another irony or {perfect coincidence} "Know Yourself". But beyond the momentary sadness, I am still so proud of this book and cannot wait for you to have it. I hope it will bring you joy and inspiration, in fact I know it will.
So here's how it works when a page is missing. {Actually you get page 92 twice. It seems that page 92 was uploaded a second time, where page 82 was supposed to be} Apparently mistakes in books, especially when it comes to the sewing and knitting pattern worlds are quite common? What a publisher does is put what's called an 'erratum' where they post the missing page online for you to download. And for those of you who have ordered your copy directly from me, I will be including an actual print out of the page in your order. If you happen to get one of the first 5,000 copies, you've actually got a limited edition ;)
I'm so sorry this has happened, and that is all.
Now let me close this post by remembering my original intention to writing a book. To add a little bit more joy to the world in the best way I know how, through my art and my words and encouragement for all of us to keep living a life we love. And be more creative {of course!}
