November, 2020
Volume 1, Issue 7

Quick Tip of theMonthStrength & Hope
A message in support of emotional well-being.

Why Gratitude Matters — Paul N.
People don’t need to hear “please” and “thank you.” They don’t need toknow that you really appreciate that they, for example, fixed your engine,which made it possible for you to go to work, or that they smile every day
when you buy a cup of coffee from them, which gives you just enoughpositive energy to make it through the morning. But it helps. Expressing
gratitude serves the person giving the gratitude as well as the person receiving it. I used to be so sour that when someone would go out of their
way to express gratitude for something that I saw as basic, I would label
them in my head as being disingenuous. But the EA program has helped
me to see the wisdom in maintaining an attitude of gratitude.
Expressing gratitude might also lessen the severity of depression. Whendepressed, I tend to mostly see the negatives in my life. The things that I
can’t control take up most of my head space. My relationships are in thetank, work is going against me, I’m not smart enough, etc. However,when I express gratitude, I become preoccupied with positive thoughts. Ithink of how grateful I am to be able to sit outside on a crisp fall day andread a book in silence or turn on my faucet and get water that I need tostay hydrated and help prepare meals. When I am grateful for the little
things in life it helps me to stay focused on what is important— instead ofoveranalyzing those things that I feel are not going my way.
I am grateful for this program. The fact that Emotions Anonymous is stillaround after 50 years is a testament to all the people that have kept it going. The many board members, employees, directors, group leaders,members and others. The progress I make is, in large part, due to not only
sharing myself, but from learning through other peoples’ experiences. I
try to make sure to express my gratitude to my fellow members at every
meeting because if people don’t show up to the meetings, EA cannot exist.

When you want to be
critical of someone orsomething, try taking apause for 3 seconds toreflect on whether you
really want to express
negativity.

Your Trustees
Scott J.— MN
507-276-0323
sdjakel@gmail.com
President
John W.— MN
612-760-0313
johnwerner52@gmail.com
Vice President
Colleen C.— MN
651-245-5461
coyne2003@hotmail.com
Secretary
Paul N.— NJ
929-399-6515
aibtikarfoundation@gmail.com
Treasurer
Derita P.— OH
216-624-3559
deritapippen@gmail.com
Steve B.— CA
909-438-4938
stevebell_28@yahoo.com
Kelsey W.— IL
618-334-6658
knlweez@gmail.com
Bezhad Arabpour Dahouei —Iran0098 913 341 4015
Behzad_7761@yahoo.com

Sharing the Primary Purpose —Lynn A.
November Tools for
RecoveryStep 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 andthe power to carry that out.
Promise 11
We acquire a feeling of security
within ourselves.
Just for Today 11
I will not compare myself withothers. I will accept myself andlive to the best of my ability.
Slogan 11
Keep it simple
Helpful Concept 11
Each person is entitled to his orher own opinions and may express them at a meeting within
the guidelines of EA. We areall equal—no one is more important than another.
Tradition 11
Our public relations policy isbased on attraction rather thanpromotion; we need always
maintain personal anonymity at
the level of press, radio and films.

I admit to having some difficulty of practicing the part of
Tradition 11 that talks about
the importance of "our public policy is based on attraction, rather than promotion."If there are no other EA
meetings locally, how canother people (with likeminded "primary purposes”)
be attracted to it? I see promotion run gamut over attraction at another 12-Step
meeting that spends much ofits time on topics addressing
emotional inebriation, rather
than, its "primary purpose;”whether it be alcohol, drugs,gambling, etc. I'm not sayingthat it’s wrong, or that itshouldn't be done. But, there
are times when I believe this
topic fits better at the EA
meeting. And maybe this isbecause at times I need totalk about things that aredirectly related to that meeting’s "primary purpose."
And maybe it's because I

have been dealing with myemotional recovery in amore direct and mature manner than others. I am notafraid to talk about how I
feel in any setting today. It’s
because of EA that I am socapable of openly sharing
my feelings in a rationalmanner. Some people just do
not feel that secure or see it
as a weakness to share suchfeelings. Man! Am I happy I
don't have to live with that
stuff in my gut anymore.
My home group just saw its
10 year anniversary. I don't
scream the name of EA fromthe roof-tops but I do shareand show what it has done
for me in my recovery. I definitely am a qualified member for several of the other
12-Step groups, but EA
helps me personally keep theother "primary purposes" incheck. But for the Grace ofGod, there go I.

November is Gratitude Month
Please consider making a contribution to EAI this month.
Throughout the pandemic, the work of EAI has continued—emails, newsletters, new pamphlets, answering
phone calls, website updates… your support makes all
this possible. Go to the Donate page on the website togive today.
You can find the Trustee Reflections on the website,www.emotionsanonymous.org.
This month we focus on Promise 11.
Page 2

Contribution Gratitude
EAI could not operate without donations and we deeply appreciate yoursupport! Recent gifts have been received from these groups:
St. Paul, MN Wed (Hamline EA)
Burnsville, MN (Apple Valley)
Midwest City, OK
Alhambra, CA
Rialto, CA
Burlington, IA
Norman, OK
Bend, OR
Niagara Falls, ON
Montclair, NJ
CanadaIn Memory of:
Al S., from St. Paul, MN Wed(Hamline EA)

Administrative News
The Board of Trustees developed a strategic plan at their annual workshop in
September that focuses on five goals:
Grow the number of EA groups

Increase awareness of the EA program

Increase service opportunities formembers



Improve the health of existing EAgroups

Improve EAI’s financial stateThis plan will guide the activities of boththe Board and staff of EAI in the coming
year and is available on the website athttps://emotionsanonymous.org/who-weare/financials-bylaws-annualreports.html
The main pamphlet of the EA program (#1— the “Yellow Pamphlet”)
is now available as a free download!
Find it on the website https://emotionsanonymous.org/literature/free-publications.html or add it to anorder for just $0.10.

Living to the Best of my Ability— Scherrone D.
One day at work I was so fed up with my miserableness that I
just knew I had an addiction because of the hold that my emotions had of my life. I was living but it wasn’t to my max. Thisaddiction ruled me. I was wasting my life that my HP, God,had given me. How many days, weeks of my life were spent
not enjoying being on this planet? So I googled emotional addictions. Ding, ding, ding. I did not know it yet, but I hit thejackpot because Emotions Anonymous came up in my search.
I started reading the material online and attending meetings.
For at least the first year, year and a half, I read the Just for
Today's every day before leaving for work. It framed and guided my day. Just for today I will try to be happy, realizing myhappiness does not depend on what others do or say or what
happens around me. Happiness is a result of being at peacewith myself. Just for today I will not compare myself with others. I will accept myself and live to the best of my ability. Thesewere particularly meaningful to me.
The day I realized that EA teachings were really seeping into
my daily life was when I was waiting for a bus. It was a hotday. Things were not going my way. And in those moments ofdisappointment of missing my bus and not accomplishing myset out plan for the day, I remembered that everything does nothave to go my way. Just for today I will try to adjust myself towhat is and not force everything to adjust to my own desires. I
will accept my family, my friends, my business, my circumstances as they come. I was able to have serenity in an otherwise frustrating series of events. I started off saying "it's close
to a miracle", but to be honest, it is a miracle.
Please write!
We encourage member reflections! Please submit yours tosubmissions@emotionsanonymous.org. Reflections should be
no more than 200 words. Please note which step/promise/tradition etc. you are referencing.
Office Information
EAI P.O. Box 4245 St. Paul MN 55104-0245
Office Hours: M-TH 10a.m.—3 p.m. CT Phone: 651-647-9712
www.emotionsanonymous.org
Page 3