The EA Connection: October2018
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EA Tools for Recovery
Step 10: Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Tradition 10: Emotions Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence, the EA name ought never be drawn
into public controversy.
Promise 10: We intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.
Helpful Concept 10: We have not found it helpful to place labels on any degree of illness or health. We may havedifferent symptoms, but the underlying emotions are the same or similar. We discover we are not unique in ourdifficulties and illnesses.
Just for Today 10: I shall be unafraid. Particularly, I shall be unafraid to be happy, to enjoy what is good, what isbeautiful, and what is lovely in life.
Slogan 10: I need people

From Gus S, President, EA Board of Trustees
As I write this, the Board members of Emotions Anonymous are preparing to gather at the ISC Office in St. Paul,
MN over the days of October 4-6, 2018 for the annual Board Workshop to continue the process begun a year agoof moving EA into the future. The Workshop will be held on October 5th. A Strategic Plan was developed at theWorkshop in 2017 and the Board, along with the ISC Staff continues to implement elements of that Plan as well asworking with new insights gained over the past months. Members will meet for the Fall Board Meeting on October 5th as well and then on October 6th we will meet for the Annual Membership Meeting via Conference Callcommencing at 11:00 AM, Central Time. More information on this Conference Call and how to access themeeting can be found on the website. And as a reminder, November, our Annual Gratitude Month is just aroundthe corner, providing the opportunity for group and individual EA Contributions. Consider gifting EA with a contribution in gratitude for the serenity you have gained as a member of Emotions Anonymous. Thank you for yourgenerosity and because of it, Emotions Anonymous has seen black ink for the fiscal year ending in June. Happy
Fall!

Annual Business and Board of Trustees Meetings

For more information, click above
If you would like to attend the Annual Business Meeting on October 6, the call in number is 1-866-316-1519, theparticipant code is 67734578#. The conference will be available after 10:55 a.m. CT. if you wish to attend inperson, the meetings will be held at Salem Lutheran Church, 11 Bernard St. West, West St. Paul MN 55118.
Of particular interest to members might be the Meeting Topic for Discussion: How to generate more involvementin the EA program—Focus on Step 12. In addition, there will be an introduction of the board of trustees, annual
messages from the President and ISC Director, along with literature and financial reports.
Your involvement in Emotions anonymous is vital to it’s future

Specials Gifts and Memorials
In memory of Victoria S, Oxford EA Group MS
We also wish to acknowledge and express our gratitude for thebequest from the estate of Rolland H of Germany.

Recovery using the Tools of EA
Step 10: Continued to takepersonal inventory andwhen we were wrong
promptly admitted it.
Doing a daily 10th step helps me
get in touch with my feelings. I nolonger stuff my feelings down and I
feel free to fully express my feelings,
but in safe ways.
I don't act out on others with myfeelings. First I write in my journal
about all I am feeling and then turnit all over to the Higher Power. Thenif I still seem to need some extra
help, I will call a safe person like asponsor, 12 step friend, or evenshare in therapy about what is goingon with me.
The main thing is for me to not hurt
myself or anyone else with my feelings. I also do not dial for pain andshare my feelings with someone
who I know will just make me feelworse. I am grateful to know it isokay to feel my feelings...Connie
I've just about mastered the art ofprojecting my crap on to others, andall the while in complete denial thatit's my issue in the first place. Then Isit there and judge them up one sideand down the other, and often havepity on them. I can be such a hypocrite! It has only been recently that
I've been able to start catching myself in the act, and try to turn myawareness back to my own inventory. Their inventory is none of mybusiness! God, help me to know myself in an honest and open way.

day. It was the carryover of manyother childhood abuse already done.

...JohnI allowed myself to go into details
because that is HOW I became emotionally well and manageable with
the EA program and therapy. Mythoughts came out of nowhere.

Just for Today 10: I shallbe unafraid. Particularly,
I shall be unafraid to be
happy, to enjoy what isgood, what is beautiful,
and what is lovely in life.
Managing Fear. I've been waking up
quite early, these days, because I'mjust an early morning person. I didn't know, any better, until I made achoice to Let Go and Let God guidemy way from being newly retired.

I mentioned fear from way backwhen because it was my beginning. I
woke up feeling happy to have another day on earth. It's a blessingthat has been fulfilled Just for Today.
It came out of nowhere, I remembered playing my kids piano alongwith The Liberace Show. It was thenmy mother with her new husband in
bed and my piano was outside thedoorway.
I was told to stop playing and go siton the couch. I remembered I didn't
want to listen and wanted to continue playing. I felt the restraint of myanger and chose to continue thinking, "I'm not going to do it, Mommie."
And so, my mom got out of bed andcame over to me and gave me a slap
across my cheek. I felt the pain andthe heat on my cheek. I then was
told again...to go sit on the couch. I
did but I was mad at my mom all

Then, I recalled how unfortunate formyself and all those other abusedchildren I know of. I became one ofthem. Just like I became one of EA's
fellowship. Once I allowed my entire
thought to be completed...I said
thank you God for the reminder ofhow I was cultured into emotional
illness.
There are no easier softer-ways ofworking through fear. Fear needed
to be embraced/accepted/willing to
make a change before I was able to
do something about it.
My sponsor, meetings, doing thenecessary footwork, and a goodtherapy section weekly, and God’s
guidance has taken away my fear ofleading a good moral life.
It was a good memory for me to notforget where I came from. Knowing
God had a plan for me. And, finding
my niche in life has brought me ahappy and humorous life. My compassion and understanding , the love
I feel for all God's peoples.
No need to cry over spilled
milk...The past can't be changed but
I can choose to use the past for
helping someone hurting as I did
many years ago. I don't say the childwithin because I could never neverseparate or divide my person.
Since, I've been able to resolve myemotional problems. I've been
blessed ten fold. I am thankful toall...Pat M

Discovering the tools
Chaos
Before recovery, I knew chaos. I was the supreme commander, the conductor who drove the crazy train throughthe hearts, minds and lives of good people. These people did nothing other than attempt to love and care for me.
That is what I gave them in return for their kindness and support. And these were the very people I said I loved.
Insanity at its finest. It chills me to the bone when I reflect on those days. However, I do not regret them because
they brought me to recovery. Thanks God!
One of the first things I saw in the rooms of recovery were the promises. I thought, well that's a tall order....Sure,from the depths from which I had fallen, true to be sure. To know serenity, I had to work the steps. I work thesteps each year as a refresher, and immediately if, needed. The point is, to know serenity is such a wonderful gift.
And, it is the gift that keeps giving. But, early on, I was still self-destructive. That did not go away when I entered
recovery. That was a result of working the steps and replacing old tools with new, effective tools. Old tools such as
selfishness and self destructive tendencies were replaced with selflessness, charity, and self-care.
The promises are absolutely true. It really helps to keep those in mind as the goal, when working the steps. Because the step work is difficult at times. It requires all the things that I was unwilling and incapable of doing on myown. Trust, finding a power greater than myself, etc. With a Higher Power, there is nothing that cannot be done. I
resonate in that ideal when I start to experience negativity or depression. It perks me up and sets me back on acourse with my HP. I dare not venture without my HP...LynnFeelings vs Truth
My feelings aren't necessarily the Truth. They may FEEL like the Truth but sometimes it IS just what my erroneous thoughts are dragging up. It is true, in moments when I choose to worry or obsess over people, places , andthings I cannot control, I'm creating thoughts that trigger unpleasant feelings. Knowing now that worry isn't very
productive my best bet is to hand it ALL over to my loving HP and to comfort myself by doing so...realizing nomatter how much I worry, I cannot change it. If I hand it ALL over I do have an alternative choice. To live my life,
even if that looks different. I need to let myself off the guilt hook for not being able to DO something. I can be kindby acknowledging, if it were in my power I'd make it better, which is a helpful, even kind thought. I can say I careor ....and pat myself on the back...but then get on with life. That MAY look like service for the person that is suffering but without the guilt, pain, shame or helplessness that my stinking thinking had me stuck in. Both of us will behappier and HP will handle it a lot better than me...MLAssumptions
Something happened in my EA meeting that I had to share. A certain member has not come for years. I asked him why
and he said because he was snubbed by someone in our meeting who refused to hold his hand during the closing andinstead extended her elbow. I told him that sometimes people worry about germs and they do that and that he neednot take it personally. Later on he told me who the person was who had done this. Well guess what? This member has
cerebral palsy which is not that obvious. She cannot extend that arm and can ONLY offer an elbow. How many times inlife have I made an assumption that is erroneous? This member has deprived himself of our meeting for years all for amisinterpretation. This was very eye opening to me. Very humbling too somehow. ..ClaireRefection for today: The more we are able to embrace our sorrow and learn from it , the more we will also be capable of experiencing great joy. Yet to embrace our sorrow takes a great deal of courage. So often we try to soften orlesson our pain. In every painful situation there is a lesson to be learned. Our willingness to be open to this learning
ultimately brings us to experience a greater joy than we had believe possible.
Meditation for today: May I hang on during my painful times, knowing my pain will eventually turn again into joy
Today I will remember: The depth of my sorrow mirrors the peak of my joy...Today Book October 26

2017 - 2018 EA Board of Trustees
Please feel free to contact members of the Board with questions orGus S, AZ 602-319-3890 schloessergus@gmail.com PresidentScott J, MN 507-276-0323 sdjakel@gmail.com Vice President/Treasurer
John W, MN 612-760-0313 johnwerner52@gmail.com Secretary

The 12 Principles—Perseverance
In the early 1950’s Twelve Steps groups began informally sharing what has become known as the Principles of
the 12 Steps. Each step has a corresponding principle that one can keep in mind when working the steps. Belowmembers share how perseverance factors into Step 10 for them.
Step 10: Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
PERSEVERANCE is defined as a continual effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties. That definition certainly speaks tome as I daily take my personal inventory and attempt to make daily amends to individuals whom I had wronged, which is not aneasy task. However, in doing so, it helps me to keep my side of the street clean in all of my relationships. This practice of myrighting my wrongs on a daily basis, ultimately results in true and lasting change from who I was to whom I want to become. How
blessed I am for the EA Program, the 10th Step and this 10th Principle of PERSEVERANCE!...Gus S

When I persevere in my program, life is less severe. In fact, as I practice balanced perseverance – in following step 10– I’m diligent in taking inventory of the good things about my life, too. I find that the end of step 10 – “…and when wewere wrong promptly admitted it” can easily swallow up potential positive aspects of this step. That is why people likeme – who are good at persevering in finding all the things wrong with us and all the things we’ve done wrong – needto also persevere in noting our good qualities. Perseverance in positivity is powerful!...Scott JPerseverance
Now that we’ve reached the tenth step, Continued to take personal inventory and when we werewrong promptly admitted it, we begin to understand how important it is to conduct our future affairs
in a way that is not hurtful to ourselves or others. To do so is to accumulate a list of amends that will
have to be made at some point. Instead, we take a moment each day to review our behavior, see if
there is anyone we.ve harmed, and offer our apologies as soon as possible. If our own name is on this list, we’ll have tospend some time being more gentle and accepting of ourselves. This daily task requires determination and perseverance. From It Works if You Work It , page 45.

Reflection For Today— December 29, Today Book
There are times in our life when we want to give up. Our pain seems to have no end. In a sense we are like the runnerof a twenty-six mile marathon on the twenty-fourth mile. The runner may think it is impossible to finish the race, ormaybe lose perspective. Yet, if there is a reflection on previous efforts, the decision will be made, no doubt, to continue the race or at least give it one last try. It does not matter how many people come in before or after. It matters onlythat there was no giving up. When the runner crosses the finish line, the pain turns quickly into jubilation.
Meditation For Today
May I have the perseverance to continue my race.

Emotions Anonymous,™ Website: www.EmotionsAnonymous.org
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