Don't Be A Cow!

    TALLASSEE, AL, May 13, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Taking a cue from the ups and downs of their own path to happiness, George & Rachel Barker have penned, Don't Be A Cow! A Collection of Daily Observations and Lessons For Discovering True Happiness.

"The title came to me while I was working with high school seniors at church and we were trying to come up with a way to teach them about not following the crowd," George said.

I recalled driving through the countryside (Tallassee is located between Montgomery and Auburn, AL) and observed that in a cow pasture there was a worn-out path down the middle, with lush green grass surrounding it, and I thought, the cows can go anywhere but they follow each other in a straight path."

Inspired, he created the metaphor that by not being a cow, you can find yourself and become an individual.

"Years later we would run into some of the teenagers who we had first introduced the idea to, and overheard them talking about 'not being a cow,' or that a 'friend had been a real cow.' That's when we realized we could take this teaching moment to another level - a book, which could help people of all ages," Rachel said.

George said he began by writing a list of life lessons - things that Rachel and he had gone through in life while raising their blended family of four children - and when he finished the list, there were 31.

In Don't Be a Cow! Find Your Own Path, the authors, through the characters Joe and Jane in the book, take you on a journey of awareness, personal reflection and sharing in discovering true happiness. Each day features a thought-provoking illustration by Pat Achilles, game exercises, and soulful enlightenment in song and quotations relevant to that particular day's journey. Along the way you'll be inspired by famous people such as Deepak Chopra, Mother Teresa, Gretchen Rubin, Thomas Jefferson, Kris Kristofferson, Katy Perry - even Samuel Jackson. The appendix features a section where you, the reader, create your own list of inspired quotes and songs and an explanation "Who's who" of those quoted throughout. "We really wanted to make this an interactive book, a stepping stone, for an individual's own journey in finding one's path to happiness and celebrating our uniqueness," George said.

"Take some time to reflect on who it is you are," George said. Are you doing the things that make you who you are? And, what you enjoy? If not, figure out what are the things you would change or do differently, and work through it," he said.

"Believe us when we say, we have lived this book and not just written it," adds Rachel. "But, through it all, it was also fun. We didn't sit down and write together," she said," but did our parts and saw the big picture. In the end, hopefully our fun, light-hearted approach inspires others on their path of personal growth."

The Barkers also have a big love of the outdoors. Rachel has a degree in Landscape and Ornamental Horticulture and George's degree is in Forest Resource and Conservation. Their passion for the environment led them to dedicate their book to Mother Nature, "who provides us with a great playground," through their non-profit organization Land and Trees Unlimited, which receives a large percentage of the book's proceeds.

They also welcome discussion of the book and your journey on the website, dontbeacow.com, on the blog, Cow Talk, on Facebook and Twitter.

"Life really is a collaboration and sharing what works and doesn't work is what it's all about," she said.

About George and Rachel Barker: Don't Be A Cow! Find Your Own Path: A Collection of Daily Observations and Lessons for Discovering True Happiness! is their first book, and is currently available on Amazon.com and the website, www.DontBeACow.com. Rachel has a degree in Landscape and Ornamental Horticulture; George has a degree in Forest Resource and Conservation. They dedicate their book to Mother Nature, "who provides us with a great playground,"; their not-for-profit organization, Land and Trees Unlimited, will receive a large percentage of the book's proceeds.

CONTACT/MEDIA CONTACT:
George Barker
LTU Publishing
(334) 324-4914

# # #