EA CONNECTION - SEPTEMBER 2017Your monthly newsletter from ISC
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From the Executive Director

EA Recovery Tools

This year the Trustees opted to encourage more local gatherings instead ofplanning an international convention. This change was based on survey resultsfrom the EA membership. We asked one member to share information about
their local event for this month’s Connection. We encourage more of thesetypes of get-togethers to make it easier for more people to participate. If yourgroup would like to hold a workshop, retreat, picnic, conference – let us know!
The ISC can help you get the word out as well as help you organize it.

Step 9: Made direct amends tosuch people wherever possible,
except when to do so would injure them or others.

Elaine Weber Nelson, Executive Director
On July 30, 2017 the EA groups of Canton, Ohio held a picnic/EA meeting inHartville, Ohio with EA members coming from various parts of the state. The
food was plentiful, the sunshine was bright, and the folks mingled with lots ofsharing and listening.
This was a lead meeting with three speakers who had different lengths of timein the program. One was a 12 year member from Cleveland, another had 6years in the program and the last speaker had 25+ program years! Thanks toRichard, Cindy and Carol for sharing. They spoke on “Living in the Moment” andwhat it has meant to them as they have grown in the EA program. After eachspeaker there was time for comments from attendees on how they used theidea of ‘living in the moment’ personally.
What was great about not only the folks who shared their experiences, strengthand hope with those in attendance was that the folks giving comments madethe program interactive and allowed everyone to share their program.
Giving fellow EA members a chance to gather at a more local level will help us
to build this organization. It will allow folks who can’t attend a national convention the chance to meet others who are also working on their emotional problems. It makes it a fun time as well as a time to share and to serve and didn’t
require months of planning!

Hosting a local gathering is a win/win for all who attend as well as for our national organization as a whole. Let’s do this!!!!!! ...Paul H

Tradition 9: EA, as such, ought
never be organized; but we may
create service boards or committees directly responsible tothose they serve.
Helpful Concept 9: We utilize theprogram , we do not analyze it.
Understanding comes with experience. Each day we apply somepart of the program to our personal lives.
Promise 9: Our relationships
with other people improve.
JFT 9: Just for today I will have aquiet time of meditation wherein
I shall think of my Higher Power,of myself, and of my neighbor. Ishall relax and seek truth.
Slogan 9: This too shall pass.

Event Calendar
Be sure to check the Event Calendar on the EA website for activities in your area. Notify the ISC if you are holding aspecial event you would like to see on the calendar. Send your notices to: Elaine, EA DirectorEAnon
Many of the shares used in the EA Connection are from our online discussion group. To learn more about EAnon

MEMORIAL AND SPECIAL GIFTSIn loving memory of Daniel & Lisa Novotny, Virginia Beach VA Wed/Sat Group1RECOVERY USING THE TOOLS OF EAStep 9: Made direct amends
to such people whereverpossible, except when to doso would injure them orothers.
I made amends to my family years
ago for things I had done when I was
not well emotionally. Like I ran away
and lived on the Los Angeles streets
when I was 18 years old.
I told my mom I was so sorry for thatand tried to be a loving daughter toher since, except for a brief time we
did not talk. I told my brothers I was
sorry for running away, too, and I
asked them how it harmed them.
They said the worst was when they
watched the evening news and it
said "It is 11 o'clock. Do you know
where your children are?" and mymom would start crying. They said
that was so hard to witness. So I told
them I was sorry for that.
Through the years, I have tried toget along with all family members,
even when they are hurtful. But
sometimes I have had to just withdraw from family members when
they were really hurtful. Just because I found recovery, does notmean they all did.
I need to forgive myself for"allowing" family members to hurtme and not speaking up about it,
too. Lots of times I was very passive
and just allowed lots of hurt. Soamends to me is to not allow people
to hurt me like that any longer.
I can not change my family of origin
and who they are. We are not as
close as we once were because I
would have to be back in my oldpeople pleasing role and I am notwilling to do that. But I still try to beloving to them all, to the best of myability. I just need to keep myself
safe more and not allow any morehurt to happen to me from them.
Like I do not have to take offense, I
can detach with love, I can pray forthem, I can let go and let God help
me and turn them over to God, too. I
do not want to live in resentment atfamily of origin members, so part of
the amends to me is to not live inanger. When anger happens, I turn itover to God and that helps.
One more of my amends is to just do
the best I can in my life and reachout for help when I need it, too. I
also do living amends by changing
my behaviors that really were not soup to par. I ask my Higher Power forhelp to live more in my assets than
my defects, too...Connie

Slogan 9: This too shall pass.
I am very grateful for this slogan, nomatter what is happening to me in agiven time, good or bad, I know that
this too shall pass. It helps me tostay balanced and not get too
caught up in the highs of life nordoes it require much energy when I
hit the lows of my day.

I used to do a lot of lamenting on
those low days and spent a lot oftime and energy in my headattempting to figure and analyzeeverything. Now I know to sit tight,
breathe deeply and let it go to myHP and keep on smiling...Paul

Tradition 9: EA, as such,ought never be organized;
but we may create service
boards or committees di2

rectly responsible to thosethey serve.
As newcomers, many of us weresurprised by the absence of rules inour 12 step groups. Before we foundrecovery from the effects of emotional illness, a strict sense of order
may have been the only way that wefelt we had some control. Naturally
we expected a program successful asours to be even more rigid than wewere!
Instead, as a newcomer I was toldthat I was free to work the steps in
my own way and time. I could ask
questions of anyone as they cameup. My Sponsor in face-to-facemeetings encouraged me to speak
my mind. She said I was not doing
service to better my group if I pretended to have more recovery than Idid.
And so I learned early in my program, that no one was in charge yeteveryone was in charge. It seemed
impossible yet I could see each time
we came together in common purpose, we were working more effectively than any organization withwhich I've ever been involved. As I
continue coming to meetings, or
simply congregating online, I'mlearning to trust that the group isguided by a higher power whose willis expressed in a group conscience.
And I learn to trust my fellow members and the well being of our fellowship, where no one person is incharge.
Today I will remember that the ultimate authority is ahigher power who
works through all ofus...Victoria

DISCOVERING THE TOOLS OF EA“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;

the courage to change the things I can;and the wisdom to know the difference.”
The Serenity Prayer is one of the greatest gifts from this Program. So here is how
this has translated out in my life...or my Thank you to God for what He has taught me through this Prayer.
Thank you God for the peace that comes from knowing that I cannot Change my family of origin, how they behaved
towards me and how I responded way back.
Thank you for the peace that comes in knowing I can Change how I react today to them and to the pain inside.
Thank you for teaching me new ways to Love and Accept my family of origin regardless of where they are at in theirlives.
Thank you that the more I trust in you the less fear I have of them.
Thank you for the courage to face and walk through my own fears regarding my life. For giving me the Courage to driveon the freeways again. For giving me the Courage to look to you to be different with my son and daughter in law than
my family was with me.
Thank you for the Courage to face the pain of my past so that history does not repeat itself. Thank you for the Courage
to believe that my pain is not who I am.
Thank you for giving me many chances and slowly teaching me that who I am is not dependent on others but dependent on my relationship with you.
Thank you for the Wisdom you give me in keeping my mouth shut at times, when I know better than others but thetiming was all off.
What a gift you are to me God in the simplicity ofyou. Thank you God for the Serenity Prayer thatteach me in incredible rewarding ways. Thank youand for being a God of second chances......andlive and be and love in you...Jessicaliving out the truths of the Program and a life incontinues to give to me all the days of my life andGod for Peace, Serenity, Wisdom and Courage
third chances. Thank you God for another day toThe part of the EA program that helped me the most was finding the part I played in causing my emotional problems. The reason this was so important was because this was something I could work on, and CHANGE my behavior.
The other things I could not change...CarolI love the serenity prayer. It just says so much so well. If there is one part of the prayer I really need to focus on
more than others it’s the “Courage” portion. I am not a courageous person And so I do not like change—and have notmade much change in my life over the past few years. I pray to my Higher Power, though, for much more Courage thisyear to make changes so that my life can continue to grow and blossom...ChrisI love the reflection stating that I will love and accept myself as I am. I have been struggling with my husband recently and have been questioning the person that I am. The reflection helps me to remember that I am okay just as I am. Ihave powerful emotions that cause things that I do not necessarily enjoy about myself. I need to follow the Serenity
Prayer and accept the things I cannot Change, gain Courage to change the things I can and have Wisdom to know thedifference. I have the power to change things about myself, especially my reaction to my emotions... but I cannotchange my emotions, they are given to me by my HP, God as a way to express my feelings...Anonymous3

2016—2017 EA BOARD OF TRUSTEESGus S, AZ

Scott J, MN

Harold F, NH602-319-3890
schloessergus@gmail.com
President (from Region 2)

507-276-0323
sdjakel@gmail.com
Vice President/Treasurer(from Region 1/GST)

603-425-2141
hthnhhugs@yahoo.com(from Region 5/GST)Valerie C, NY

John W, MN

Jack M, IL

612-760-0313
johnwerner52@gmail.com(from Region 1)

773-720-1827
disaster_man@msn.com(from Region 3)

585-371-4347
valcea@gmx.com
Secretary (from Region 5/GST)“ The Concepts provide us with the basic structure of EA” Thoughts fromyour Trustees: Helpful Concept 9:
Helpful Concept 9: We utilize the program , we do not analyze it. Understanding comes with experience.
Each day we apply some part of the program to our personal lives.
I have been using the EA program since Oct 1985. I work the program daily. Theprogram does not have to be changed because a person wants an easier softer
way, there isn’t one. I have learned more as they work the program instead oftrying to understand how works. It is like a bumble bee that flies when science say
it can not, IT JUST DOES IT...Harold F
Analysis can be helpful until I try to untangle the same knot for the hundredth
time! The EA program is spiritual in nature. For me, this means that my humanunderstanding will never be sufficient to comprehend all of it. Instead, I am asked
to be willing and teachable, and to focus on my daily tasks. When I can get out of
my head and "do the next right thing", benefits most often follow, even when I am
not sure why...Val C
What a novel concept! Most of us, I dare say, are taught to analyze everything
before we make a decision relative to changing jobs, purchasing an item, etc. Butin our program, we are asked to use the tools of the program so as to really understand and apply it to our personal lives. Analyzing gets us nowhere, least of all torecovery!...Gus SOf Importance to Groups
1. Has your group contact or meeting information changed? Email Bobbie
Jo with updates. Correct information on the website listing is importantso newcomers can find a meeting or someone to contact questions.
2. We’re hearing that some groups are being asked for insurance at thelocation of their meeting. Please know that the ISC does NOT provide any
sort of insurance coverage.
3. Are you organizing a local event? Please let the ISC know if you are holding something special so we can share your information on the Calendar!
Send your notices to Event Calendar .
4

REGIONS OF EMOTIONSANONYMOUS
Region 1: Northwest
CAN: AB, BC, MB, ON, SK
USA: AK, ID, MN, MT, ND, OR, SD, WA, WI, WY
Region 2: Southwest
USA: AZ, CA, CO, HI, NM, NV, OK, TX, UT
Region 3: Central
USA: IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MO, NE
Region 4: Southeast
USA:Puerto RicoRegion 5: Northeast
CAN: NB, NF, NS, NT, PE,YT
USA: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT
Region 6: French-speaking Canada

Emotions Anonymous™
Hours Monday—Thursday: 10 to 3:30
Phone 651-647-9712
Fax 651-647-1593
PO Box 4245
St Paul, MN 55104
www.EmotionsAnonymous.org
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