January 17

“In taking the Tenth Step, we commit to keeping our house in order, whether old failings reappear or new ones arise, as they inevitably will.”

Sex Addicts Anonymous, page 52

At a meeting the other day, the secretary may have gotten a little pushy when distributing the readings. Another member responded a little sharply. The member was angry and the secretary was hurt, so one of them brought it up as a meeting topic. It made for a great meeting.

Most of those who spoke admitted that they were often on both sides of this experience—mad and hurt about many little things in daily life. Some noted how, if they are not careful, these hurts and angers can blow up and ruin their entire day. One said that it was like part of him was just waiting for something he could get worked up about. He called it head trash.

I was stunned. These people, many with a decade or more of solid recovery, were telling the story of my daily life. I was surprised to learn that I was not the only one who can overreact to the smallest provocations.

Then the wisdom of the program shone through. I take daily inventory to deal with this very tendency. My addicted mind can find things to get emotionally overwrought about on any given day. Step Ten is a daily way to clear out any accumulation of head trash.

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I sort through my thinking every day, so I can haul out what doesn’t work and keep my serenity.