…the barriers to what we genuinely want often look like our expectations and our old limiting beliefs–what we think it should look like. We turn a blind eye to the possibility that it could look different and still be amazing. We give up all too easily. With this willingness to just get started, I began my journey–one small step at a time…”
Stefanie Ly, Riding Through It: Equestrian Women Tested and Transformed
I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw the boxes on my front porch last weekend. The equestrian authors had just been informed that we may not actually get our deliveries until after Christmas – with the shortage of paper, and the issues all over the place with supply chain, we would need to be patient. Patience is not necessarily something I am known for! I like things to happen quickly, especially when they are exciting. Working with horses, and with Winston in particular, has shown me time and again that slow and steady, taking baby steps toward long term goals, is how it’s done. On that reflection – I accepted that the books would get here when they got here, and there was no point in wasting another thought.
When I saw the boxes, I knew that this was them, the books – and, we had been asked to make a video of our unboxing to share on social media, as it’s done these days! Given that it was a Saturday morning, and I was in full on slob mode, I decided I would stretch my patience muscle even more, and set the boxes aside until I felt camera-ready.
I did some Saturday chores, went to visit Winston and spend time with him working on our Liberty training, and before I knew it, the day had flown by…and…I still wasn’t what I would call “camera ready” or at least “permanent, social media image” camera-ready. Then, I decided that having a completely curated self was way less important that sharing my JOY, which is the true element the camera is there to capture – the sheer excitement and joy of holding a book that I had a part in creating. The joy of seeing my name in print. Suddenly, camera-ready just meant sitting in front of the camera! So there I sat, my phone leaned up against my laptop, for my unboxing experience. I shared my video excitedly with the group of authors, I could hardly believe that I was the FIRST author to receive books! For me, this again just went to show that the less I worried and hoped and wished for it to happen, the more opportunity for the miraculous to show up – this time, in the form of the books.
It took a couple more days before I received the extra stickers, and began writing my messages to all those who had completed a pre-order from me. In the meantime, a woman I met at a Liberty Lane open house with the Freedom Herd the weekend prior surprised me with a visit at the farm while I was doing chores, in hopes that the books had arrived and that I would have one in my car for her! It was certainly a risk she took driving an hour on the hope that I would have the books, but I had brought a couple in the car just in case I ran into anyone! Talk about perfect timing! She was so giddy to have received the very first copy, after just having met the week before, we made a connection over both being Waldorf School Administrators, of which there are only 7 in all of Ontario so the odds of that meeting were indeed magical.
Once I received the stickers and purchased the special gift wrapping supplies, I went to work on preparing the pre-order packages – wow! It was a good reminder for me that I don’t really want to have the sort of business where I am packaging and delivering/shipping items, which is good to know! I have thought about opening a little shop, carrying specially curated items, or things I have made since I’m crafty, maybe if I do I’ll have someone else do this part. I am proud of how they turned out, and so far those who have received their copy have been thrilled as well. I ordered an extra 10 copies to sell should anyone want to purchase directly from me instead of through Amazon, and have almost sold out of those as well! Our book is currently #1 in the Love & Loss category on Amazon, which, again, I can hardly believe! Those who have reviewed it so far have shared that the stories in this book have allowed them to access their tears and grief, and in return, access joy once again. There is nothing more heartwarming, as a measure of success to me, than to have readers for whom our writing has shifted something in them, such that they can experience the world with fresh eyes, and an open heart. To uncover joy once again.
