The last week of October begins the I Want season. It comes in a series of three events:

Halloween:

"I want to go to the coolest party."

"I want to wear a costume that everyone will notice."

"I want to really scare my little brother."

Thanksgiving:

"I want to skip the stupid family dinner."

"I want to forget my diet and pig out."

"I want to travel somewhere interesting. Grandma's house is boring."

Christmas:

"I want my Christmas presents to be outrageously expensive so that everyone is jealous."

"I want my Christmas outfit to have only the best designers' labels."

"I want my bedroom to myself - no sharing with my out-of-town cousins."

It's so easy to get caught up in the I Want season. Just move along with the rest of the crowd. Before long, you'll find you are focused only on yourself. Everything will revolve around your desires and your expectations.

This season comes chock full of interesting emotions and attitudes, too. Before the event, you feel insecure and competitive. During the event (when things don't meet your expectations) you feel sorry for yourself and sulky. After the event, when you compare your experience with your friends, you envy them and resent their perfect holiday.

Does any of this sound familiar? Babies live in a continuous I Want season. Children think about themselves more often than not. When you were nine or ten years old, this kind of behavior might have been understandable. However, you are no longer a child. It's time to grow up.  If you'd rather not, rethink.

Do you know someone who always makes everyone do things her way? Do you enjoy being around her? NO? I didn't think so. Be careful. If you fail to break out of the I Want habit, you could become a person just like her. Sadly, women who fail to break out of this habit become a hollow shell hiding behind a mask of material things. No one who has this habit is satisfied. I Want is never content with I Have.

I, however, have good news. If you have Jesus in your heart, you can get out of this trap. The ladder to climb out can be found in Matthew 6:33: "Seek first the kingdom of God." It has another name: "What would Jesus do?" I can tell you with absolute certainty that He never looks to satisfy Himself. He came to the earth to serve others.

Lynnda Ell has been an active Christian for over 50 years She has three adult daughters and five grandchildren. She has had careers in accounting, direct sales, electrical engineering and writing. She lives and worships in New Orleans, LA. Check out Lynnda's blog.

Here's a shortcut to breaking out of the I Want season this year. For every event, focus on helping someone else. Make sure that person enjoys herself. Decorate the table for that dinner. Ask Grandma about the pictures on the wall. Give a special gift to someone who would otherwise have nothing. Focus on serving others. It's a signal to everyone that you are growing up spiritually and emotionally.