For the hay and the corn and the wheat that is reaped,
For the labor well done, and the barns that are heaped,
For the sun and the dew and the sweet honeycomb,
For the rose and the song and the harvest brought home
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

For the trade and the skill and the wealth in our land,
For the cunning and strength of the workingman’s hand,
For the good that our artists and poets have taught,
For the friendship that hope and affection have brought
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

For the homes that with purest affection are blessed,
For the season of plenty and well-deserved rest,
For our country extending from sea unto sea;
The land that is known as the “Land of the Free”
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

Our ego helps us to be self-confident and successful. So it is our friend - right? Wait a minute! There is another side to this. Our ego has an inborn tendency to grow at high-speed. If we don't watch it carefully, it soon becomes an inflated ego, damaging us more than we can imagine. Does that mean it is always our foe? Certainly not, but as in many aspects of our life, balance is what makes the difference.

Ego has a voracious appetite;
the more you feed it, the hungrier is gets.
- Nathaniel Bronner, Jr.

Anytime there is a struggle between doing what is
right and doing what seems right, your ego
is interfering with your decision.
- Darren L. Johnson

Whenever I meet such a "super hero," I feel sorry for him. He thinks he is superior to others and knows everything about the when, where, how, and why of every situation. He has all the answers and doesn't need anyone else's opinion. But what he doesn't realize in his glory is that he is living a dangerous life. Sooner or later he will make mistakes, and no one's going to be inclined to warn him. His ego is his foe. What makes us any different? Nothing, unless we realize how important it is to keep our ego in check – unless we realize that remaining humble is central to living a successful life.

What about your ego? Is it your friend or your foe?

I am sorry!
We all make mistakes. We know of course that the problems caused by our mistakes
 can be alleviated with a simple "I am sorry," but we don't use these words.
We prefer to wait awhile and think the problem will go away. But that only makes things worse.
There is no better way to clear the air than to say, "I am sorry," and the sooner the better.
Why are we so reluctant to use these magic words?

 
   
   

An apology is the superglue of life.
It can repair just about anything.
- Lynn Johnston

Never ruin an apology with an excuse.
- Kimberly Johnson


Those three words either get stuck in our throats or come out sounding fake and insincere.
 Why is that? Do we think that saying "I am sorry " is an act of weakness? It isn't – it's a sign of strength.
 We could also look at it from another angle.
To say "I am sorry" (if we really mean it) is the best way to prevent us from spending
a lot of time and negative energy on something that is so easily fixed.
We should use the three words more often, even if it hurts a bit. It could hurt much more later.