Climb That Fence and Take That Leap

by Philip Johnsey

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BLURB:

Edmund blasts across the yard against my calls to come in. He gleely runs off and I chase him across the grass only to find a unique butterfly or a sky filled with stars. As soon as I stop and admire, Edmund promptly comes to my side and rubs against me.

Do you ever wonder if there is more to your pet’s behavior than meets the eye?  Sometimes their antics are more than just random behavior.  Can we learn something about ourselves by watching them?

I believe so and Climb that Fence take that Leap is a compilation of personal, inspirational animal stories and the life lessons I gleaned from them.

After enjoying these stories, hopefully you’ll enjoy more quality time with your furry friend and know what it takes to Climb that Fence and Take that Leap!

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Excerpt :

See the situation for what it really is:

Puff was afraid of imminent attack because he could see Amanda right in front of him. Yet Puff was totally safe and didn’t realize it. If he would’ve stopped and thought for a minute, he would’ve recognized that they were separated by a glass door. He knew from past experience that if she were going to attack, it would happen quickly.

Take a minute and think back to a stressful situation. How would it have been different if you had looked around at the surroundings and your place in them? Was there a “glass door” that was keeping you “safe” but you didn’t see it? Were things really as you initially saw them? From my experience, it’s far too easy to assume that what we see is the truth, when actually the reality is very different.

How many times do we take something seemingly insignificant and make it a huge problem? The larger we make the problem, the more stress we have. Why do we have to make it larger anyway? Don’t we have enough to do?

Next time a stressful situation comes your way, take a minute and analyze the whole picture. Step back and see the situation for what it is.

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How to meet Deadlines and Remain Sane

(guest post by the author)

It’s 10:30 Tuesday night and I need this posted by 7:30am Wednesday morning, I’m not going to make it!! Ever had that happen? It’s not fun to be faced with a deadline and watching time just slip through your fingers.  While working under pressure is motivating for some people, it’s not for me.

I’m going to share two easy tips that I use to help me meet deadlines and remain sane.  

As single person who works full time and is pursuing writing via several methods, I have to juggle work, house upkeep, life, and writing. Needless to say, time is a precious!   

The first tip is I keep a list of my work.  I prefer simplicity and the easiest way I’ve found to keep track of my work and meet deadlines is to have a simple spreadsheet. Notice I said “simple”.  The spreadsheet only has the following columns:

·        Article title: this is the subject I’m writing about.

·        Status: unwritten/draft/completed. this tells me where I’m at in the scheme of things

·        Publication date: the deadline

I can just glance at this spreadsheet, which I usually keep open on my laptop, and see what I have to write and when it needs to be submitted.  Using only three columns, I don’t have to toggle between pages or any of that, just open and look. 

I also use the article title column as a place to record article ideas. Even if I don’t have it all figured out, just noting the idea is a big help. It is a comfort to look at the article column and have a list of subjects.

For me, that saves a lot of “what am I going to write about” stress. I already have the idea, now just have to write the draft, edit it and post it.

Now that I know what to write and when it’s due, the second tip is: I schedule time to write. This may sound obvious, but whether you have a family, are in a relationship or single, it can be tough to find time to write. There is always something begging for your time and if you don’t schedule writing, it won’t get done.

I usually select certain evenings, in advance, where I’ll just write. That means no laundry, no major cooking adventures, no house cleaning, or other distractions. Just write.  It can be hard to concentrate at home so sometimes I’ll go the library and write.  By scheduling time in advance I know that I have time to write and it allows others to plan accordingly. One of the unexpected benefits is that I look forward to and mentally prepare for that time which is fun. 

In summary, to avoid going insane while meeting deadlines, I utilize two processes: a simple spreadsheet of articles and scheduling time to write.  It definitely takes some effort to squeeze in the time to meet deadlines, especially if you work full time. However, with a little organization and planning, it can be easily done and you’ll actually enjoy writing again.  

Contributed by: Philip Johnsey

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Raised on a farm and having been a volunteer at different animal rescues, it’s no surprise that his first two published articles were about animals. So it’s only fitting that Phil’s first book is about animals and the connections we share.

From Phil’s first high school job to present, he’s spent his career working with clients, explaining complex ideas in an easy to understand manner.  In addition Phil enjoys exploring the world and sharing those adventures via writing, photography, and videography.

Phil’s credits include, multiple certifications, Reiki master, photographer, author of two blogs, author of a travel column, creates short segments for a local T.V. station and whatever else he can get into.

Kirkus Review: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/philip-johnsey/climb-that-fence-and-take-that-leap/

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Climb-that-Fence-take-Leap/dp/1478200162/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371561944&sr=8-1&keywords=climb+that+fence+take+that+leap

Barnes and Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/climb-that-fence-and-take-that-leap-philip-johnsey/1114721387?ean=9781478200161

Createspace:

https://www.createspace.com/3923565

Read my 5-star review here.

Philip will be awarding a $50 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your  chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/09/virtual-book-tour-climb-that-fence-and.html

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