EA CONNECTION - APRIL 2017Your monthly newsletter from ISC
To help support this publication: EA Connection

From the President of the Board

EA Recovery Tools

Last month our Executive Director shared with us some of the exciting
things happening in Emotions Anonymous, from the introduction ofnew pieces of literature, the redesigned website and a plea to our EA
community to help create new material for consideration. It is envisioned that these new materials, like those we already have, will help
the organization continue to move forward.

Helpful Concept 4: We do not judge;
we do not criticize; we do not argue. We
do not give advice regarding personal orfamily affairs.

But, for all of this to happen, we can’t forget our financial responsibilities. We’ve made some progress this past year, but we continue tosee RED in our monthly financial report. We’ve made some drastic
cuts within our ISC: hours worked; days of operation to four (4) per
week and we can’t cut any more if we are truly going to be of SERVICE
to our EA Worldwide community. As an organization we need to findways to stabilize our finances. Any suggestions and/or ideas? Passthem on to us!
Not only does the ISC receive daily requests for materials, etc., butalso requests for opening new groups. Good news to be sure! Groups
are also closing. I’d like to hear from our groups about what you’re
doing to keep a stable membership. Your input would be helpful tothose groups struggling to remain open. Thanks, and enjoy thesewonderful Spring Days! Gus S, President, EA Board of Trustees

Welcome to Spring
EAnon
Many of the shares used in the EA Connection arefrom our online discussion group, EAnon. Click here
to learn more about EAnon

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 a special event you
would like to see on the calendar. Send your notices
to: Elaine, EA Director

Just for Today 4: I will take care of myphysical health; I will exercise my mind;
I will read something spiritual.
Promise 4: No matter how far down thescale we have gone, we see how ourexperiences can benefit others.
Slogan 4: Live and let live.
Step 4: Made a searching and fearless
moral inventory of ourselves.
Tradition 4: Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting
other groups or EA as a whole.

Of Importance to Groups
We're happy to announce that our catalog and or der for m
have been redesigned to be more informative and easier touse! The new order form is available on the website: Revised
Order Form. Please be sur e that if you choose to place anorder by mail that you are using the most current form."
Please make sur e your gr oup contact and meeting infor mation is current. Email changes to: Bobbie Jo, Group Coordinator Cur r ent infor mation on the website is essential.
Want to receive infor mation dir ectly fr om the ISC? GoGet Involved You'll get The Connection sent directly to yourinbox each month, as well as periodic emails about EA.

Memorials and Special Gifts
In memory of Linda P, a special person — Amy P, MIRECOVERY USING THE TOOLS OF EAStep 4: Made a searching
and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
For about a month I was feelingpeculiar. That's a good word. I didn't know what was the matter. It
wasn't depression exactly. I wasn't
miserable. Nothing physical wasbothering me (any more than usual.) But somehow there was this"feeling." Something was wrong
but what? It was blah, bland andicky!
Then the lights came on. Several
folks on EAnon talked about Step 4.
Aha! Why does it take me so longto figure it out? I've done Step 4
many times and I know how helpful
it is. So I sat down and wrote andwrote some more. My pen justwouldn't stop. And as I wrote, clarity came into my life once again.
It so happened I was due to go
on a retreat the next week and I
took my 4th Step with me and did
my 5th Step with one of the priests
there. Wow! What a difference inmy "feeling." My "peculiar" has left
and I'm again back to me. There's
nothing like the 4th & 5th Step torestore serenity...Mary Jane L
As I work on Step 4, I find that resentments are definitely my number one challenge. I get resentful ofpeople really quickly. And then, Ifind it hard to let it go. It really destroys my serenity. I wake up in themorning and the tape recorder ofsome past resentment
starts replaying
in my head. Itsalmost making me sick nowadays,
because I am so tired of it. If I am to
get some semblance of emotionalbalance back, I have to learn to let
my resentments go. Right now, I
am writing Step 4 on the big ones
and sharing them with my sponsor.
I don’t know how it will work andhow all the venom inside will dissipate...but I am just trusting the process for now. To paraphrase someliterature I read, Other people cankeep anger and grouches; for us, it
is poison. I am powerless over myemotions and that inner anger feels
like poison. I know friends who canforget a resentment and go on. I
have seen my husband who rarely
gets resentful, let go. But I know it
doesn’t work that way for me, they
paralyze me. I have to do something about it. I am grateful that I
have a systematic program as I try
to deal with the pain of Step 4... Pri

the goal of "helping," but is it reallythat if the person doesn't want help
or expect it? I don't know.
Last week I wanted to write twoletters to check in on how someindividuals were doing. I didn't doit, instead opting to write a totallydifferent letter to someone to justshare with them some pictures andinformation. When I opted to notwrite the first two people, I wasactually practicing this "live and let
live" philosophy but didn't realize itat the time. When I decided not tocontact them, I realized I had somuch on my plate, why do I wantto tackle this Pandora's box again.
It proved to be a land-mind lastyear. I can't deal with whatever unforeseen might come out of contacting them again, even if it is justto "check-in." So I focused on me.
I'll be here if they reach out...Irene

I am happy that thanks to having
worked Step 4, I am not carrying
around the garbage of my past mistakes---especially since I've lived
such a long life.
I don’t need to worry that someone
could turn up a secret about mylife. Over the years, I've sharedthem all. My mind has calmed
down, thankfully. Part of this calmis due to the fact that I've acceptedthat I cannot "fix people."...CarolSlogan 4: Live and let Live
This is a powerful message...to live
and let live. I have so much to focus
on in my own life, how is it that I
have time to get into other people's
business? For me, its usually with

One thing I notice is that I often
judge myself harshly. And find myself unable to forgive myself andruminate on past mistakes and failures. I find it rather easy to forgive
other people but when it comes tome it is not easy at all. I feel like I
should be perfect, never make mistakes and always do the right thing.
I hope as I work through the steps I
learn to forgive myself and be kinder to me. I need to be a better support of who I am and what I canachieve. ...Carolyn

DISCOVERING THE TOOLS OF EA
Tools of the Program
A wise elder in my f2f group likes to say that our "disease" likes to sneak up behind us, grab us from behind &drag us into a deep, dark hole. Not only does it do this, but it also blinds us to the way out of that hole. It takes allof the tools of the program & the help of others to find the way out...JoeMy Emotional Bottom
When I came to the program, I was very much at the bottom. I was so afraid of meeting new and unknown
strangers. I was scared of what would happen to me. I was totally insecure. Fear tried to hold me back, but I knew
I needed help. I was able to cry and open-up to people but I couldn't look them in the eye nor did I want to. Afterfinding out that it was my first meeting of EA, the chairperson told me I was the most important person in theroom. I was ashamed of myself. I was so hard on myself and didn't believe I deserved their help. All thoughts likethis came to mind, it was hard to listen because my concentration was nil. As much as I didn't want to do anything, I forced myself to meetings and tried to listen for the message. It took years before I came out of the fog. I
needed to find a purpose for attending EA meetings. It would have been easy to quit, but I knew I had to do thefootwork. Laying down my foundation became my purpose. I felt God had saved me for a reason.
How was I to share in those earlier days? How would I know what God wanted from me? I needed to help myself
before I was any good for someone else. I started to give back on the day of my first meeting. A member neededsome medical help. I asked if I could be of service. I took her to the emergency room. She was going through thebeginning of a nervous breakdown. I didn't know what to do but I stayed with her and held her hand. Didn't saymuch but I did take note because it could have been me. Live and Let Live was one way I found some peace ofmind. I stayed with the lady until she had a room. I kept saying to myself, "There, but for the grace of God, go I." I
couldn't help but to be a new friend to this lady.
After five years in the program, making many mistakes and repeating the same bothersome thoughts, I found thepurpose for being alive. It wasn't for myself as much as it was for another suffering human being. My purpose
now a days hasn't changed. I love giving back and receiving the blessings and promises of the program. It's in thegiving that I receive the courage and strength to know God is walking besides me...PatTwo Wings
Just for Today 4: “I will take care of my physical health; I will exercise my mind; I will read something spiritual.”
For me being a brain-oriented person, I might have the tendency to over-exercise my mind, and to read things
spiritual. For me, the first part of this guideline has proven most important: "Just for today I will take care of myphysical health." There is a lot to taking care of my physical health. For me exercise has been an absolute. It helps
create feel good hormones, it channels anxiety (and anger), it steadies my focus, it helps regulate my appetiteand ensure better sleep. The teacher showed us a new exercise, that did not come easy to me. I had to learn touse both sides of my body, in kind of a swirling motion, on the floor. I really noticed how much my right arm andshoulder liked the unwinding. That kind of unwinding is a form of joy I hope to add to my exercise tool kit. It hadme turning from one feeling to another, left side to right, and experiencing a sense of freedom, just as if I hadwings—"God turns you from one feeling to another. And teaches you by means of opposites.
So that you have two wings to fly. Not one.”...Victoria

Live and Let LiveFor me this simply means that I am responsible for me and that I need to let others be
responsible for themselves. I get to live my life and they get to live theirs...Karen

2016—2017 EA BOARD OF TRUSTEESGus S, AZ

Scott J, MN

France B, QC, Canada

Harold F, NH

602-319-3890
schloessergus@gmail.com

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

819-319-9912
france.boulerice@gmail.com(from Region603-425-2141
hthnhhugs@yahoo.com(from Region 5/GST)

Tyrrel D, GA

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

President (from Region 2)
Valerie C, NY
585-371-4347
valcea@gmx.com
Secretary (from Region 5/GST)

706-782-2328
atdear08@gmail.com(from Region 4)

John W, MN“ The Concepts provide us with the basic structure of EA”
Thoughts from your Trustees: Helpful Concept 4
REGIONS OF EMOTIONS ANONYMOUSRegion 1: Northwest

We show hospitality in offering unconditional acceptance / welcome. Our HP
guides us, so we don't add suggestions or critiques on how people live. What agift this is! "We're glad you're here! We'll work on getting along with you as you
work the program and "get along" moving in the direction of emotional wellbeing." The EA family is the only family affair we're concerned with—avoiding
dysfunction through kindness/openness to all on the journey torecovery!...ScottJudging, criticizing, arguing, and giving advice are all ways I try to change orcontrol other people. When I examine my life I can see I'd be better off
examining my own choices, as I have made more than my share of mistakes. I
want to control others because of my own fear. I need to remember that otherpeople have a higher power and I can pray for them. If they ask for my advice I
can give it but I have to let go of the outcome...ValThis Concepts tells me to treat people as they are, unconditionally , to not give
advice but to lead by example and to share my personnel experiences in theprogram...Harold
Difficult Concept for me, to say the least. Why you ask? To see an individualin emotional pain looking for an instant cure, knowing it is difficult for them tosee the hope the program has to offer. Often, after several meetings or months
they simply gives up in despair, unable to receive the help the program offers
because of their inability to see beyond the we do not’s in this concept. If
only….GusGosh, if I cannot judge, argue, criticize, or give advice thenI guess all I have to work on is me! But it’s so much easierto focus on your character defects than mine. Emotions
Anonymous really is introducing me to a “new way oflife”! Thank you,, Higher Power...Tyrrel

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