Who is the enemy?

I love this little prayer that someone wrote!  It so describes my day!
“Dear God,
“So far today I have done all right. I haven’t gossiped, haven’t lost my temper, haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overly indulgent. But in a few minutes, Lord, I am going to get out of bed, and from then on, I am probably going to need a lot more help.”
We could all use a lot more help!  In today's world, we are encouraged to care more for ourselves than for anyone else.  We are living in difficult times with many burdens for each of us.  It is so easy to become caught up in our own needs and to not look too hard at the needs of others.  
Selfishness is defined as:  the quality of being selfish, the condition of habitually putting one's own interests before those of others.
In one degree or another we all struggle with selfishness.  Selfishness can be familiar to all of us.  It can manifest itself through: claiming credit, puffing yourself up at another's expense, being happy at the mistakes of others, resenting success, needing pubic notice instead of private, disdain, discourtesy, and being self-centered.
Elder Neal A Maxwell has said, "In contrast to the path of selfishness, there is no room for road rage on the straight and narrow way. There will be no spouse or child abuse when there is unselfish love at home. Furthermore, unselfishness is best grown in the family garden, and, likewise, diligently performing seemingly ordinary Church duties can further help us to overcome selfishness. The unselfish are also more free. As G. K. Chesterton said, if we can be interested in others, even if they are not interested in us, we will find ourselves "under a freer sky, [and] in a street full of splendid strangers"."
 If we want to prevent selfishness in our lives, we should not confuse our wants with our needs.  There is a quote that I heard on a Mary Ellen Edmunds CD.  It says, “There, there, little luxury, don’t you cry. You’ll be a necessity by and by.”  That has proven so true in my life!  I remember the days when the TV stations turned off at night and did not come on until the morning.  I grew up when children played outside all day and did not have cell phones with text messaging.  We did not have computers or game systems.  We had bikes and balls and bats and our legs and minds.  We made friends face to face, not in chat rooms.
Today, with all the fast, action and instant gratification, many children are growing up to think that if something isn't fun and entertaining, it is not worthwhile.  I hope that is not so in our family.  So, how do you teach your children about selfishness?  I think it is by showing in increase of love and affection to those we love.
 "As selfishness and complaint pervert and cloud the mind, 
so love with its joy clears and sharpens the vision".  -Helen Keller-

Well, today I needed something a little lighter and the kids and I were looking at funny videos on youtube.  This is one of our favorites and we have watched it several times. The girls keep coming back to it and they laugh every time.  The dog is being so selfish that he is paranoid that someone else is trying to take his food.  So, I used him (the dog) to talk with them about being selfish.  Sometimes, I think we all know exactly how he feels.