EA Connection—February 2016Your monthly newsletter from isc
From the president of the board of trustees:
In the January edition of the EA CONNECTION, our Executive Director, Elaine Weber Nelson, spoke of the importance of each of us, members of Emotions Anonymous. She touched on our financial support as well as
our need to carry the message to others. She also spoke of the need to grow the EA membership and asked
each of us to consider ways we might do it and even suggested ways we might accomplish this task. Any success stories these past four weeks? If so, it would be great to hear what you did and how you accomplished
it. It’s no secret that increased membership and increased revenue go hand in hand, and frankly, our organization needs both! I believe it is important that each of us become aware of some EA group information.
There are roughly 310+- EA groups in the United States. Of this number less than half (123) groups actually
supported the International Service Center last year. World Wide even fewer supported the ISC. The wellkept secret is out. Frankly the ISC needs our financial support. Can we do it? Yes We Can! ...Gus

February tools:
Step 2: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity
Promise 2: We do not regret the past or wish to shut the door on it.
Slogan 2: You are not alone
JFT 2: Just for Today I will try to be happy, realizing my happiness does not depend on what others do or
say or what happens around me. Happiness is a result of being at peace with myself.
Tradition 2: For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express
Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
Concept 2: We are experts only on our own stories, how we try to live the program, how the program
works for us, and what EA has done for us. No one speaks for Emotions Anonymous as a whole.

Of Importance to Groups:
The new website (coming soon!) will provide a place to list your group’s activities beyond the usual meetings.
If you plan to host a Public Information Meeting, sponsor a retreat or a workshop, or have other activities orevents you’d like others to know about, please send the information to director@emotionsanonymous.org
and we’ll get it posted.
The Outreach Committee still needs help finding radio stations willing to play informational spots about EA
that have been developed. Email Vicki at EA4RadioSpots@hotmail.com if you’re willing to call a few stations

Memorials and Special Gifts:
In memory of Brian F, former trustee and longtime EA member
Katie F, Columbus, OH
To help support this publication, donations can be made to: EA Connection

EA Tools
Step 2: Came to believethat a Power greater thanourselves could restore usto sanity.
"Came to believe that a Power
greater than myself could restore me
to sanity," used to be difficult for me.
I was upset by the word "sanity,"even downright triggering to consider! As a child growing up in a dysfunctional home, I experienced insanity. I saw my mother taken to a psychiatric unit and labeled "crazy" byfamily, neighbors, and friends. She
was blamed and criticized for myfamily's illness. As an adult I, too,felt responsible for my family's dysfunction. When I came to EA andheard the word, "sanity," all I could
think of was the lack of it, in my life.
Even worse, I feared becoming likemy mother.
What I had overlooked in Step Two
was the word, "Power." The day I
started placing my attention on thatPower instead of on insanity, I began
to see miracles in my life. One such
miracle was my ability to talk about
my fears in meetings. Other miracles
included taking the Twelve Steps that
led me to serenity, and engaging in
the process of forgiving and healing.
It has taken me many years of hearing Step Two read at meetings for me
to really hear the word, "Power."
Now I realize how much more awesome my Higher Power is, than myvulnerability. Instead of dwelling infear, today I am striving to pass on
the miracles of recovery to my children...Victoria

Though I grew up in a r ecognizable organized religion and still
am faithful and practicing that religion, I do not like references toany particular religion in a meeting or other sharing meant for awide audience. Our Traditions
cover this for us, and it makes me
feel safer in the whole group.

I have learned that friends whostruggle with following this 12
Step program, frequently have notdone their 2nd Step thoroughly. I
made this mistake. I read and slid
over Step 2, thinking I had thatwhole belief stuff covered. But, I
relapsed and a new sponsor didn't
let my religiosity faze her. She
gave me this assignment: Write alist of all the attributes that myHigher Power must have in orderfor me to believe that this HP can/will/wants to restore me to sanity.
I dutifully did my assignment, andhave gotten over many hurdles
because of it. When I notice I am
feeling out there on my own I go
back to my list. Sometimes I findthat I have listed too few attributes, and that my HP needs to bebigger than I first imagined. Witha too small idea of my HP, I cannot turn my will and life over tothat being.
So, I do not want to hear about
your specific religion, or have you
try to evangelize me in a personalconversation. I rejoice that you
have a strong belief and are devoted to that. I appreciate that andmany other beliefs/descriptions ofa HP. And we all need a HP inorder to recover...Theresa
I was quite happy that God was
not mentioned in Step Two because I
wasn't too keen on God at that time.
But it was easy for me to believe in apower greater than myself and at first
this power was the EA group that I'djoined. I was no longer struggling
with this baffling mental disorder all
by myself.
Later my Higher Power evolved into
something much bigger than the EA
group but the beauty of the programfor me is that I was introduced in
Step Two to the concept that I could
develop a belief/faith in a power

greater than myself.
I've come to believe that I need toreinforce this belief on a daily basis if
I want to continue enjoying peace ofmind...CarolJFT 2: Just for Today I
will try to be happy, realizing my happiness does notdepend on what others door say or what happens
around me. Happiness is a
result of being at peacewith myself.
This was very har d for me to cometo terms with. Most people in my life
have actually liked me, with some
exceptions. There was my fourth
grade teacher who I drew a picture ofwashing her hair in a toilet. She didnot like me. Bossy Alma, our past
table tennis president doesn't like me.
But basically, I was my own worst
enemy. It has taken a lot of work toturn that relationship around, but I'm
grateful that I've had the willingness
to do just that, and most of the time I
am at peace with myself...Carol C

Promise 2: We do not regret the past or wish to
shut the door on it.
When I first read this promise, I
thought it was pretty silly. How can I
not regret the past; it is full of painand misery and shame. Why everwould I want to remember all thatstuff. But as I grew in the program, I
learned that we are to learn from ourpast and perhaps even embrace it. I
have even come to realize that someof the things I thought were awful
were not really so bad at all. Without
my past and all theexperiences goodand bad, I would
not be the person I
am today, and today I like who I
am….Karin

Ea tools applied: LOVE
Aspects of Love
Fear has been an almost constant companion for me for most if not all of my life. I still struggle with it
but I am noticing it getting less as the years of recovery go by. One day at a time, I am turning over myfears to God, sometimes smoothly and sometimes leaving claw and scratch marks. Lately I am thinking
about trust, and trusting my Higher Power that everything is going to be ok.
Valentine's Day has made me think of Love and what that is. I feel like my ego gets in the way of my truly loving
others, and despite my best intentions, honestly, I am usually looking out for number one. On the other hand, inthe past I have put aside all needs and desires of my own and become completely enmeshed in someone else andwhat they wanted in their life. Their life became mine and I did this out of "Love" because after all, isn't thatwhat a selfless person does?

So I'm learning what Love is in life. People and relationships are my greatest teachers. How do I love someone
and how do I love myself? What do I want? Lots of questions in my mind today. I am going to try not to think
too much and just let the questions be...Kelly
Sometimes I don't feel worthy of love. I definitely haven't felt brave enough to accept it at times. I pray
for courage to accept this beautiful gift from God when it comes my way again. I know it's all around me.
It's just difficult to see it as well...Irenie

If I am honest about my own experience, and I know that to progress in this program I must be rigorously honest, I would have to say I haven't let in very much love at all. "I need people," that's what the slogan
says, not "There are a select number of people I will tolerate, if I have to." And right now I am thinking,maybe this has something to do with how little serenity I have found, and how easily I lose it. Scratch that: I don'tlose it. I fumble it; I drop it.
Looking at what others have written today, I also see that I must love myself before I can love others and that if I
don't truly feel something I can act as if I do. I went to a meeting this morning and someone spoke about thedifference between wanting and being willing. She said, and I am paraphrasing here, "I want the recovery thatothers have, but am I willing to do what they have done to get it?" That's sort of how I feel about loving myself. I
know that some people do it without thinking, but for others, like me, it doesn't come naturally at all. No matter
how hard I want it, I just can't get to that place of loving myself. But I have come to believe that it is possible. I
have read evidence of it in the EA stories, and in the shares I read here daily.
For me, the issue isn't faith, the issue is trust. This is where I have been stuck for a long time. I have climbed theladder, rung by rung, and I stand on the platform. I watch as people who have no more power over their fear thanI have cross to the other side. I tell myself, "I could go over there if I wanted to, I just don't want to," when I knowthat is a lie. So I stay put, and my self-hatred grows. I have a sponsor who patiently cheers me on, but when I rely
too much on one person's support it weakens both of us. How did all those others develop the trust that somemysterious higher power could get them across safely? I want to know, but I'm not willing to ask. Do I love myself
enough to try? And if I don't, am I willing to act as if I do?...GraceI have seen how necessary love is to me. I’m not in a romantic relationship but I still have people in mylife who love me, and who I love. I have my dog, the greatest source of unconditional love ever. I have aconnection to the source of all love, a power greater than myself for which I am grateful. Also importantto me is the relationship I have with myself. Grateful that today I can choose to be good to myself and do something nice and special for me. By looking for the good on this day, I’m able to see all the love that’s in my life, toappreciate it and savor it...Gail2015—2016 ea board of trustees
Region 1: Northwest - Treasurer
CAN: AB, BC, MB, ON, SK
USA: AK, ID, MN, MT, ND, OR, SD, WA, WI, WY
Zoe L—Email: zoe.ea@comcast.net

763-432-7858

Region 5: Northeast - Secretary
CAN: NB, NF, NS, NT, PE,YT
USA: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT
Valerie C—Email: valcea@gmx.com

585-371-4347

Region 2: Southwest - President
USA: AZ, CA, CO, HI, NM, NV, OK, TX, UT
Gus S—Email: schloessergus@gmail.com

602-319-3890

Region 6: French-speaking Canada
819-319-9912
France B—E-mail: France.boulerice@gmail.com

Region 3: Central
IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MO, NE
Lynne S—Email: lynnesmith50@hotmail.com

712-420-2058 USA:

Region 4: Southeast
USA:Tyrell D—Email: rdear2@gmail.com

706-782-2328
Puerto Rico

General Service Trustee - Vice President
Vince C—Email: vincovea@yahoo.com

603-891-1431

General Service Trustee - Trustee-at-large
Harold F—Email: hthnhhugs@aol.com

603-624-8455

General Service Trustee - 507-276-0323
Scott J—Email: jake.ea.newulm@gmail.com
Non-member Trustee
Phyllis R—Email: eaphyllisr@hotmail.com

623-915-5795

Slogan 2—You are not alone:
Comforting words, surely. My path to wellness began in 1997, but remaining healthy is a forever commitment. My
major stumbling block: lack of SELF ESTEEM. I struggled but by working my program, going to meetings, reading andconversation with my Higher Power and sponsor I soon discovered that I was NOT ALONE, and magically it becameeasier. Forever grateful for Emotions Anonymous!...Gus Thank God! I'm sure not wise enough or strong enough tohandle life's challenges; but with my HP I can, and do, have a full, rewarding, and joyful life. I AM NOT ALONE….Tyrre
I have often felt isolated, separate and different from others. In EA I meet other people who have had emotionaldifficulties, and I am given steps to help me to connect with a higher power who can be there any time or place...ValAll I have to do to see that I am not alone is to go to a EA meeting. There are members that have emotional problem
similar or the same as I do. When I am not at a meeting I know I can turn to my Higher Power who is always withme...Harold

Reflection for Today: Today is a special day celebrated by lovers in the United States. Theheart is a symbol which has been seen in stores for weeks. Sweethearts send each othercards, flowers, candy. We call friends and relatives to say, “Hi, I am thinking of you.” We carefor each other in a special way on this day. We make an effort to be nice to friends andstrangers alike. In short, the day is dedicated to love. Why only one day of the year? I canstrive for two days and then three and so on. In the past I was afraid to show love for fear ofrejection. It is not as hard as it used to be. I have seen how necessary love is to me

Events Far & Near
95th Retreat: Kings House, Buffalo, MN“Watch Your Steps” Feb 19-21, 2016
Contact Diana: 763-755-9317
dlsg@usfamily.net

29th Anniversary Public info meeting
March 31 at 7:45 pm. 130 Broad Blvd,Pilgrim United Church of Christ, Cuyahoga
Falls, OH. For more info call 234-206-1232
or email emotionsanon@yahoo.com

Meditation for Today: Help me to not be fearful of sharing my loveand friendship all year long.

Today I will remember: Lack of love will pain me much more than lotsof love….Today book, February 14

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