This is an unbelievable , but true story.

In 1986, five year old Levan Merritt fell twenty feet into the gorilla enclosure of England’s Jersey Zoo.

As parents and onlookers cried out for help, a full grown male silverback named Jambo placed himself between the motionless boy and the other gorillas.

Then, he began to gently stroke the child’s back.

When Levan began to cry, Jambo led the other gorillas into their own enclosure as zoo-keepers and an ambulance came to the rescue. (Our Daily Bread)

The animal world will always be somewhat mysterious to us, but this story teaches us that the animals we fear and hunt down are more capable of good than we give them credit for.

The same applies to people.

We have a tendency to fear or dislike entire groups of people based upon their color or ethnicity.

We must treat every person based upon their own merits.

If not today, when?  

MAKE THE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR SPOUSE BETTER.

You can do many things to improve your relationship.

Sit down together and discuss what changes you could make.

If you can do something to make your spouse happier, you’ll be happier too!

ADDRESS A PROBLEM WITH YOUR KIDS.

Get some input from their teachers at school.

Try to get them to open up to you about their problems. Right after school (with a snack) is a good time.

Is there something you can do or should you seek professional help?

SCRUTINIZE YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION.

Ask your superior if there are positions available that would provide the income you need.

If not, every business is short of staff right now.

There has never been a better time to seek a better job elsewhere.

If not today, when?

Andrea Bocelli, the great blind tenor, travels the world without the gift of sight.

Every airport is different.

Every hotel room is different.

Every men’s room is different.

He will never know what his wife looks like.

He will never know what his children look like.

He will never know what his audiences looks like.

Oh, I know he makes a lot of money with his concerts, much of which he gives away with his Andrea Bocelli Foundation.

At age 12, he suffered a brain hemorrhage in a soccer game accident and completely lost his eyesight.

I’m not seeking your pity with this blog.

I’m only trying to make the point that we must always put our own troubles in perspective and be thankful for the blessings we have.

If not today, when?

I guess a person, who has attained financial success, will be proud of his/her accomplishments because I’m sure it took a lot of effort.

Hopefully, the proud person doesn’t become arrogant with his/her day-to-day behavior.

I would guess that the success was accomplished with the help of other people along the way.

And the successful person should express his/her gratitude to the people who contributed.

Should a successful person also express humility when interacting with others?

I am suggesting humility because it is quite possible that the success was achieved because God bestowed certain personal attributes that could have enabled him/her to win big!

Most people don’t achieve great financial success, but I believe they should be treated as equals by the wealthy person.

Gratefulness and humility are the bedrock of good character!

If not today, when?

As a child growing up in Sweden, Karolina Jurzyk didn’t pay much attention to her grandfather’s tales of wartime Poland.

Now, however, thanks to a long-forgotten letter, Jurzyk, 35, has uncovered the truth about how her family rescued and hid two Jewish sisters from the Nazis.

Having moved to Stockholm as a baby, Jurzyk grew up hearing from her grandparents about her great-grandfather’s bravery — though details were scant.

“I was very close to my grandparents,” she told CNN. “I spent every school holiday with them in Poland and World War II was very present because they both survived it.”

Jadwiga (L) and Fela (R) (in the photo above) wrote to Jurzyk’s great-grandfather after the war to thank him for saving their lives. (CNN)

When it comes down to doing THE RIGHT THING in the face of danger, will we?

There will be and perhaps have already been situations when our bravery is put to the test.

Will you and I be brave enough to do THE RIGHT THING regardless of the consequences?

There is a right time and a wrong time for each issue we may be considering.

A door of opportunity that was closed yesterday may be wide open today.

Sometimes, the right time for something might fall right into your lap.

That sure happened to me when I first laid eyes on my future wife.

I also, by the way, don’t believe in coincidence.

I firmly believe that God provides us with opportunities that we may decide to accept or reject.

How do you know when the timing is right for you to go in a certain direction?

It all comes down to your intuition.

IT HAS TO FEEL RIGHT!

And you’re intuition is the only one that counts.

Doors to most opportunities aren’t closed forever.

So, look for that moment when it FEELS RIGHT and GO FOR IT!

If not today, when?

You should have goals and there is a process for identifying the proper goals for yourself.

IDENTIFYING YOUR GOAL

What are the results you want from this goal?

How will this goal change your life for the better?

Is this a logical goal for this time in your life?

Do you have the skills necessary to obtain this goal?

If not, what other skills must you acquire?

What will be your deadline for obtaining this goal?

MAKING IT HAPPEN

What time allocation will you need to accomplish this goal?

Are you prepared to put forth the effort that will be  required?

What financial commitment will be needed, if any?

What are the obstacles you’ll face and how will you overcome them?

Will you need to seek help from others and if so, from whom and why?

In order to stay on track, will you tell others about your goal and make a commitment to its completion?

If not today, when?

There is obviously a difference of opinion between you and your superior.

So, what should you do about iI? Compile a fact sheet to present to your boss.

Some of the issues that should be included are:

How long has it been since your last raise?

Have you demonstrated that you are a team player?

Do you produce or exceed the amount of work expected of you?

What are the ways in which you have contributed to your company’s success? Do you show up for work on time and do you spend the hours on your job that are expected?

Have you brought any new ideas to management that can make your company more competitive?

After presenting and discussing your fact sheet, ask your boss if a raise should be given now. If not what other efforts will be expected of you in order to earn one?

If not today, when?

While driving yesterday morning, a family of deer crossed the road ahead of me in single file.

They crossed with parents leading them.

There was a much smaller deer at the back which was crossing after the others had made it safely to the other side.

The older ones stopped after crossing and all of them looked back to be sure that the “baby” had crossed safely.

IT TOOK MY BREATH AWAY!

Obviously, in the animal kingdom, FAMILY COMES FIRST.

The concern the older ones had about the safe crossing of the little one said it all.

And it is another teaching moment for those of us who have children.

As parents, we must strive to keep our family together even if there are some renegades.

The child we raise may take on habits or beliefs unique to him or her.

Regardless of their development into adulthood, we must look back to be sure they are safe and loved!

If not today, when?