EA Connection—November 2016Your monthly newsletter from isc

From the Executive Director—International Service Center
Your Board spent two days in workshops prior to the recent Convention delving into important issues to EA. Some of
the items discussed included: changing the Board meeting schedule to have the full board meet every other month,
restructuring the make-up of the Board, adding new opportunities for more EA members to get involved in new ways,
making changes to EA’s bylaws to better reflect what the organization is today, determining how we can use technology to communicate among Board members, EA members, and the broader community. Following these very intenseworkshop days, we held the Annual Business Meeting for Delegates. As part of that agenda, I asked the larger group todivide into four smaller ones to discuss issues facing EA today and possible solutions. Attached to this month’s Connection is a bullet-pointed list of what your delegates said. Based on the workshops and the Delegate meeting, we haveidentified focus areas for the coming year that we believe will move EA forward; that information follows the list. I welcome any comments, suggestions, or recommendations you have after reviewing what your Delegates said. And if anyof this spurs you to action, I’d be happy to know what you would like to do! We will be reaching out to the EA membership more and more in the coming months – we need your insight and abilities to continue to share the message EA
offers to current members and to others who need this program...Elaine Weber Nelson,. Executive Director

November tools:
Step 11: Sought thr ough pr ayer and meditation to impr ove our conscious contact with God, as weunderstood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Tradition 11: Our public r elations policy is based on attr action r ather than pr omotion; we need always maintainpersonal anonymity at the level of press, radio and films.
Promise 11: We acquir e a feeling of secur ity within our selves.
Concept 11: Each per son is entitled to his or her own opinions and may expr ess them at a meeting within theguidelines of EA. We are all equal - no one is more important than another.
Just for Today 11: I will not compar e myself with other s. I will accept myself and live to the best of my ability.
Slogan 11: Keep it simple.

Of Importance to Groups:
Be sure to check the Event Calendar on the EA website for activities in your area – and notify the ISC if you are holding
something special so we can share your information on the Calendar! Send your notices to director@emotionsanonymous.org .
Please make sure your group contact and meeting information is current. Email any changes to Bobbie Jo atgroupdata@emotionsanonymous.org . Correct information on the website listing is important so newcomers can find ameeting or someone to call/email if they have questions.
The EA Annual Report for 2016 is on the website now at www.emotionsanonymopous.org/who-we-are/financials.html. Our 2015 financial report (the 990) will be listed at the end of the month.

Gratitude Month
November is traditionally the month we ask everyone to consider making an additional gift beyond what
your group contributes. Please think about making a donation online or by mail during the comingweeks. One-third of the ISC budget comes from contributions and are necessary to continue the functions the ISC provides to the entire membership. Thank you for your generosity.
To help support this publication, donations can be made to: EA Connection

EA Tools
Step 11: Sought
through prayer
and meditation to improve
our conscious contact
with God, as we understood him, praying only forknowledge of His will for
us and the power to carrythat out.
I am really thankful to all who
prayed for me today. I got the genetic test reports and it seems likemy baby is doing well.
The last few weeks really opened myeyes to how vulnerable and powerless I really am. There was nothing I
could do but go down on my knees
and pray. No mental strategy, nowords, no books...nothing gave me
any comfort. Before I got pregnant, I
didn't even have any strong urge tobe a mother. But now that I started
thinking about the baby, the thoughtof losing him was so painful.
One thing has changed for me. Even
after 9 years in Program, I wasn't
very good at Step 11. But after thisexperience, I find myself much closer
to my Higher Power. I felt as thoughwhen nothing works, prayer gives
me comfort. When nothing can help
me, my Higher Power can. Maybe
this experience was meant to draw
me closer to my Higher Power. I was
also touched by all the people whoshowed concern, who prayed for me.
It helped me to not feel alone...PriOne of the things that I started doing earlier this year was to take 15
minutes, at least once a day, andsimply sit still and be quiet.
I don't fight my thoughts. I
don't talk to my HP,
I simply—sit—quietly.

I have started doing that again and itis helping me work/practice Step 11
which in turn has helped me to slow
down and appreciate the nature thatis around me...Jim

Promise 11: We acquire afeeling of security within
ourselves.
I like Promise 11 which states, "Weacquire a feeling of security within
ourselves." Lately I have been okaywith my own company. I do not haveto always be so connected with people all the time. I enjoy spendingtime on my own. I think that is thesecurity that is within myself. My
Higher Power is the One who helps
me feel secure. Whenever I getscared, I pray lots to my Higher Power to help me, and then I
am not as scared.
I also wanted to sharewith you that I had admitted recently about some fears I
had to my Psychologist and now
those fears really are lessened. Today I no longer have to depend somuch on "human powers" to give methat feeling of security. I know myHigher Power is with me in all that I
do from morning and until night. I
say quick "Serenity Prayers" throughout the day when I find myself beinga bit uneasy and that helps.
I am very grateful that having a Higher Power belief helps me feel way
more secure, way more sane andway more "knowing" that I am okay
for me. Grateful for this EA programthat helps me have a much better
life. I think having a much better life
has helped with me feeling moresecure as well. I have so many things
to be grateful for more good witheach new day...Connie

Promise 11: We
acquire a feeling of security within ourselves.
Today's RFT - August 1, reminded
me of Promise 11. Fear of economic
insecurity will leave us. That does
not mean the insecurity will leaveme, it means that fear of it will. And
there is a great difference between
these two things. Being a single
mother with a rather unstable income is not always easy. However,whenever I ask my HP to release mefrom my fears, my mind automatically gets into present. When life getstoo hard to stand - kneel.
When I pray, my mind becomes clearand quiet, staying in the moment
enables me to calm down and concentrate on what is really important.
Very often only when I start hearingthat birds are singing, noises of people and cars outside, colors andsmells around me, prayer helps me
to get back to earth and realize I am
not alone in my "desperate bubble"
any more. Every single moment of
release from prison of myself is precious for me and I feel really gratefulfor such magic moments.
Being in another Twelve Step program for several years has helped
me to realize that worrying overthings I cannot change costs me alot of energy that I could otherwise
spend in far more useful ways. Instead of creating catastrophic plans
in my head, with the help of my HP
and this program , I am able to think
how I can be of service to others.
Even simple thinking about somebody else but myself helps a lot toget out of me-me-me and diminish
my fears...Anonymous

Ea tools applied: gratitude
GRATITUDE: A FEELING OF APPRECIATION OR THANKSThis morning I am grateful for a good nights sleep; that when I cry out for my Higher Power he hears me; that I am
never alone; for the love of good friends; for the ability to choose to love myself; giving myself healthy, nutritious foodyesterday; an awareness that I am feeling overwhelmed; a clear blue sky on a beautiful Spring morning; to be able tosit here and take my time awakening; for the shares on the loop and all that I learn from them...Ian
I am grateful because this program has given me the ability to feel wonderfully equal to others, and normal and average on occasion. I no longer have to be the super star overachiever. Thank you God. This has given me room to behuman. I am so grateful to know what this feels like. I am so grateful to know what it feels like to experience life rather than run past it. I used to watch movies like Family Man, and thought they were hogwash. He was successful.
Why did he need this or that in his life? Nobody gets it all. But, now I get it. I know what he was missing, and I knowwhat I was missing (and am still working to build). Nothing is more beautiful than sustained relationship. Nothing ismore important than love. Right now, I am still working on relationship with myself and others. I am progressing but
not where I hope to be yet. Old patterns, old words, old ways of behaving keep surfacing that keep people far awayfrom me. Not knowing what to share, not knowing what not to share, not knowing what is superficial from intimate discourse, not knowing who to trust nor how much I pray these skills continue to be refined in me...BethAfter I came into the program over 2 years ago, I questioned why should I do a gratitude journal as what isthe point behind it—being the skeptic that I am. Well, early last Summer, I started doing a gratitude journal and havemade it a regular habit after I read my devotional books in the morning...great way to start the day.
There have been days that I struggle to add things as my heart wasn't in it. Over time, I've learned to love doing mygratitude journal regularly and have no problem filling up the page. Doing this journal regularly especially helps during
the bad times as things can always be worse than they are...one of my Mom's quotes. Even repeat some of the samethings that I am grateful to keep it ingrained in my mind. By working my program especially doing the gratitude journal, I think that it has rubbed off on my Mom as she gets down in the dumps at times with her health problems...andthat is coming from someone who is naturally optimistic and calm...Janelle
There are several reasons for writing a gratitude list. First is that for me it is a way of fighting my mind's tendancy (aka "character defect") to notice only the negative or to become discouraged and even depressed because"nothing ever changes" or "nothing good ever happens." One of my favorite slogans is PACE "Positive Action Changes
Everything." Making a gratitude list is a positive action I can take when I am feeling in a negative mood. It is a powerfulantidote to PLOM "Poor Little Old Me" syndrome. If I attribute the things I am grateful for to my Higher Power it canbe a reminder that God is providing for me and taking care of me in many wonderful ways.
I do not always feel each gratitude deeply. If I don't feel them much at all, I can at least "act as if" I do, as the EA program suggests. In my experience, if I take positive action, my feelings will eventually change. Thus I may start out only
being halfheartedly grateful, but after a week, two weeks or whatever, eventually my perception of my situation willchange and I will become more genuinely grateful for how many people, things, events I have to be grateful for.
As I realize how much I have to be grateful for, I become much more trusting that God/H. P./the Universe will takecare of me & supply what I need. As this happens I can begin to let go of my need to control people, things & events.
As I begin to have a more positive attitude my depression/resentment/anger etc. lessens and my serenity increases even in the midst of unsolved problems (Concept 5), which is EA's formula for recovery...JoeI think that gratitude is an invaluable tool in recovery. Focusing on solutions as much as possible rather thanproblems helps too. When I can focus on gratitude I generally feel I am in a much healthier place. My serenity
is often directly proportional to my gratitude...Adam

2016—2017 ea board of trustees
Gus Schloesser
717 E Southern Ave
Phoenix AZ 85040
602-319-3890
schloessergus@gmail.com
President (from Region 2)

Arthur Tyrrel Dear
54 Stirling Lane #6
Clayton, GA 30525
ATdear08@gmail.com
706-782-2328(from Region 4)

Valerie Anderson
1550 Elmwood Ave
Rochester, NY 14620
585-371-4347
valcea@gmx.com
Secretary (from Region 5/GST)France Boulerice
27 Thomas Street #4
Gatineau, QC J9H 3G5
Canada819-319-9912
France.boulerice@gmail.com(from Region 6)

Scott Jakel
1310 West 16th St.
Hastings, MN 55033
507-276-0323
sdjakel@gmail.com
Vice President/Treasurer(from Region 1/GST)John Werner
20640 Donnelly Ave.
Farmington, MN 55024
612-760-0313
Johnwerner52@gmail.com(from Region 1)Harold Fink
61 Winding Pond Rd
Londonderry, NH03053
603-425-2141
hthnhhugs@yahoo.com(from Region 5/GST)Regions of Emotions Anonymous
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

From your Trustees: Slogan 11—Keep it Simple:For me, the program is "simple" but sometimes not easy. One of the difficulties I run into is over-complicating things. Mymind likes to obsess, and maybe sometimes I use analysis and "research" to procrastinate. When this happens, I tend to hit awall and life reminds me to go back to basics - sometimes the A-B-C’s: "(A) that I was emotionally ill and could not manage myown life, (B) that probably no human power [especially my own thinking] can relieve my emotional illness, and that (C) a Higher
Power can and will if it is sought”...Val C
As a member of EA I notice if I break down tasks or problems into small portions thesolutions become much easier to solve. This is how I keep it simple and less complicated...Harold F This slogan can be a prob-lem for me! I can easily complicate my life, my program with too much useless baggage. Remaining focused; remaining in touch with my core values; remaining true to who I am and how this simple program works has served me well.
It’s all in the first three steps! I can’t. God can. Let God...Gus S
Doesn't it seem like even the tiniest problems become complicated once we start to dwell on them? Our minds
take over, probing for information that isn’t there, attaching our emotions to each issue and making problems
seem more daunting than they are. The Serenity Prayer offers us a solution…….It Works if You Work It, p. 78-79

EA Events & Activities
For a listing of current events go to
http://emotionsanonymous.org/getinvolved/2016-events-activities/
To post an event contact Bobbie Jo atinfo@emotionsanonymous.org

Emotions Anonymous™

Email Addresses:PO Box 4245
St Paul, MN 55104
Phone 651-647-9712
Fax 651-647-1593
Hours: Monday—Friday: 10 to 4
www.EmotionsAnonymous.org

director@emotionsanonymous.org
editor@emotionsanonymous.org
info@emotionsanonymous.org
groupdata@emotionsanonymous.org
orders@emotionsanonymous.org
shipping@emotionsanonymous.org

If you have an event you would like to see listed here, send your information to editor@emotionsanonymous.org

Delegate Business Meeting Discussion Notes on Problems
and Solutions Facing EA Today.

Group 1• EA needs:• to reach out to individuals not just group contacts• group mentoring• EA needs a new faceGroup 2
• 60% of mental health professionals say they are overworked (too much demand)• Plan to inform these associations about EA• Meetings held in hospitals and growing by informing hospital• Need to inform mental health orgs worldwide about EA• Modern communications used to best of the ability – such as social media, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram• Crowdfunding for EA
Group 3• Issue - Health of current groups• Local mentoring/assistance needed• Sponsorship – don’t foster enough sponsorships. Strength of groups based on 1 on 1 relationships withaccountability and relating to each other.
• Difficulties with people being willing to sponsor (as too timid), and also not enough people whohave worked first few steps• Guidelines for sponsorship should be developed• Introduce newcomers to sponsorship & follow-up on newcomers• Phone numbers of newcomers are on list
• A person volunteers to call a person by the end of the meeting• Brochure specifically on sponsorship should be in newcomer packet• Newcomer orientation by people talking outside of the room
• Newcomers meet with a specific greeter after the meeting• Phone lists should be made and maintained• Solution – temporary sponsorship• Need stricter guidelines from bottom to top so groups are similar• Lack consistency, lack structure, lack promotion / marketing.
• Structure is there but every group is autonomous• Solution - ISC could make materials available as recommendations (not requirements)• Mass mailing to doctors wasn’t successful• Making a letter available and suggest individual members take to their therapists worked great in thepast

Continued on following pageGroup 4• EA is old - needs new face

• EA needs:• to approach emotional healing• hospitality at F2F meeting• sponsors that are working the program• visibility – possibly through mixed 12 step groups• our name out in public without advertising personally• financial support and revenue streams• volunteers• Individual members to be growing in the program and to be able to see/measure their groups• all stages of program working together• to engage mental health practitioners• more linkage between groups and between groups and ISC• Need literature with fresh language to address new issues and fresh language for old issues• speakers that can come to meetings and community and share message
to differentiate spiritual v religious program
healthy people to spread message of value of EA

The resulting focus for the ISC and Board of Trustees based on this information:• Work to identify groups/organizations that should know about EA, but don’t• Develop appropriate materials to help people understand what EA is• Restructure the Board so they can focus on organizational issues• Inform members of opportunities to get more involved• Restructure the regional contact system in the U.S. to create closer ties among the groups and theirregional volunteers• Work with members to develop and publish new literature• Revise suggested meeting guidelines and encourage their use more at meetings to achieve moreconsistency while not stifling the groups’ desires for running their meetings• Figure out how best to use social media