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

From the Executive Director, ISC

EA Recovery Tools

Much as the approach of spring gives us a bit of a boost of energy, so too does seeing work in progress become work completed. I am so pleased to share five new pieces of literature with theEA community! We have a new workbook, Taking the Fear Outof the Fourth Step: A Joyful and Uplifting Journey (Form 74),
that provides a different way to look at, and work, the FourthStep. This spiral-bound workbook is a wonderful addition to theother pieces we have to guide members through the 12 Steps.
We also have had industrious members working on several newpamphlets: “The Common Thread: Mistaking Emotion for Reality” (Form 1); “From Surviving to Thriving” (Form 26); and“What is EA?” (Form 69). Finally, we have created a new pocket
card with Step 3 and Step 7 Prayers (Form 20) on separate sidesof the card. We hope members will find all of these items usefulto them as they navigate their journey in the EA program.

Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will andour lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

The Board and I believe that in order for EA to thrive, we mustgrow. We redesigned the website and created an app last year
and have seen the rewards of having easy-to-access information
available. We get calls and emails everyday, from individuals andprofessionals, looking for groups. We need to energize ourselves
and find ways to encourage people to get involved and get active. I hope we’ll look back on 2017 as the year we took a bigstep forward in making new materials available to help members work and grow their own programs. Are you interested inwriting a pamphlet or a workbook for EA? We welcome yourideas and your submissions. Contact me for more information orwith questions… Elaine, Executive Director ISC

Slogan 3: One day at a time.
Tradition 3: The only requirement for EA membership is a desire to become well emotionally.
Promise 3: We comprehend the word serenity,
and we know peace of mind.
Just for Today 3: I will try to adjust myself towhat is and not force everything to adjust to myown desires. I will accept my family, my friends,my business, my circumstances as they come.

Concept 3: We respect anonymity—no questions asked. We aim for an atmosphere of love
and acceptance. We do not care who you are orwhat you have done. You are welcome.

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

Of Importance to Groups
Event Calendar
Be sure to check the Event Calendar on the EA
website for activities in your area .

Please make sur e your gr oup contact and meeting infor mation
is current. Email changes to: Bobbie Jo, Group Coordinator
Correct information on the website listing is impor tant so newcomers and members can find a meeting or someone to call/email ifthey have questions.

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

Want to receive infor mation dir ectly fr om the ISC? Go Get Involved You'll get The Connection sent directly to your inbox eachmonth, as well as periodic emails about EA.

Memorials and Special Gifts
To remember or acknowledge that special person: Memorial Donations #3

RECOVERY USING THE TOOLS OF EAStep 3: Made a decision
to turn our will and ourlives over to the care of
God as we understoodHim.
It has been over 20 years
since I’ve worked a step program. Having worked thesteps before, I know they work. I
have a memory of it, but I have quite
a few years of troublesome habits
built up which brings me to Step 3.
I'm working on it now and finding itmuch harder than Step 1 and Step 2.
Now the hard work begins. I read it
over and over. "Made a decision toturn our will and our lives over tothe care of God as we understoodHim." What the heck does it mean, ismy first response.
My stumbling block may be my will. I
have been relying on my own willpower for survival my entire adultlife. It's second nature. It feels like"me." How do you just "hand it
over?" Nothing to do but ask forhelp from my HP. So far this step forme is a conversation with my Creator. I don't know the specifics ofGod/Higher Power, but for me, I experience it as a mysterious presenceof grace, love, justice, faith, miracles
etc. So in my conversation and prayer I just say..."God of Love and Understanding I am handing this toyou, all this confusion, insanity, pain
and shame. I do not know how to let
go of my will so can you help me?”Somehow it feels like I should bedoing more here but I keep on having this basic conversation and prayer with my HP. I don't feel any
different. Nothing seems to hap-pens, but I know in time, not only
will I let go, but it will feel like I
have...Linda

I frequently try to run mylife myself, and I always
seem to run aground. I’m
grateful that I don’t have to beatmyself to a pulp about it any more,
although I still do at times. Asking
for help has never been my strong
suit. I’m getting the message loudand clear that I need to...GailSurrendering my relationshipwith my adult son and its fallout has opened up a hugespace on my life and lifted a weightoff of my shoulders. So now I wantto surrender to my Higher Power theother things that I have been
attempting to control.
I do this by asking out load for myHPs help, telling him that I can't dothis any more, I can't carry this burden, please take it from me. Then I
picture the cross of my savior in myminds eye, and I either place thesethings at the foot of the cross or I
place them gently on His shoulders. I
understand now that He really did
die to take away my sin. Take what
you like and leave the rest....I am notproselytizing, just sharing.
I surrender the desire that mydaughter should love me in spite of
the pain she suffered when I left hermother. For too long I have tried tomake her love me. I surrender theneed for the approval or even admiration of others. I surrender theneed for a fulfilling role. I surrenderthe desire for a specific job. I surrender my body and my physical health.
I surrender my time management. I
surrender my intellect and my ob-session with reading deep books. I
surrender everything I am to myHigher Power, my life and my will,and I ask Him for his guidance.
I easily forget that I am a sick man inneed of help. Too easily I become
self sufficient and this always leads
to trouble. I need a savior...Ian

Slogan 3: One day at atime
I have been struggling withstaying in the present moment. My mind is always
wondering back into yesterday or
attempting to leap into tomorrowwith the idea of "if only" andwanting what I want when I want it.
These habits of mine cause me a lotof conflict and stress because I haveno control over any of it. Living in
the now is a simple thing. It is really
all we have. However, it is the simple things I find very hard to stayconnected to because I wonder off
into yesterday and idealize my future with thoughts of what's goingto happen when I get this or that.
When I spend so much time dealing
with my thoughts and applying energy to them I see that I make a lot ofassumptions, expectations and othermanipulative actions which attempt
to control others. Thoughts withenergy require my feelings to become way too active, which in turncauses me to react in ways which
separate me from those that arearound me.
Eventually I come back to the support system of EA. Gratitude andforgiveness for my ignorance of forgetting these simple things sets meback on the path of recovery, one
day at a time...PaulDISCOVERING THE TOOLS OF EARecovery
I always knew about seeing the cup half full rather than half empty and all those positive sayings that abound inthe wider world. But they never really spoke to me, I couldn't really work them even if I did intellectually understandthe truth of them. Emotionally I was too broken, I was a piece of pain and I was so full of inner toxic feelings, shame,and thoughts that these sentences were just that—sentences.
I walked around and put on a flawless act, acting as though I was confident and whole‚ and no one besides for myhusband knew how angry and how sad I really was inside. I felt cheated, betrayed, used and abused by my parents,yet, I pretended to the world that everything was fine and dandy. Being that broken didn't allow me to see anythingas half full versus half empty; or other cute‚ but seemingly‚ empty superficial sayings. I needed to heal first, I needed
to purge myself from all the toxic stuff inside of me.

I was able to start therapy before I found EA. Therapy empowered me and I am grateful for every session I had. It was
my therapist who advised me to join the local EA group in one of our early sessions. I am grateful she did. One on one
therapy was vital for me but after 6 months of it I felt far safer in EA meetings. The steps were an active healing process for me more than exploring issues with my therapist which was revealing and vital‚ but not really healing. I am
not with that therapist anymore but is was and is still important to me. I share privately when I need to with members I feel close to on EAnon. They were so kind and giving of their time.
Attending meetings was like being re-parented—the unconditional love and acceptance plus the self-discipline thatwas gently instilled in me allowed me to feel my pain, grieve and move on, gaining courage, some wisdom and little
bits and then bigger bits of‚ serenity.
Once I was more complete I was able to start actively working the program. Today I still don't like sayings from thewider world outside of EA, unless it's said by someone who's actually suffered and struggled and triumphed. It helps
when it is from an EA member and from the EA program that is sympathetic, empathetic, caring, and loving, and, also
firm in its encouragement that my HP does know what's good for me, and that I can live this I was given. So I am able
to “look for the good” now. Even though my reality in all aspects is a far cry from the life I thought I needed, wantedand dreamed of. I can accept that this reality is different but it's not bad—just different, perhaps harder, or perhaps
not, as I haven't lived the other type of reality so I couldn't really know! I definitely can see lots of good in my reality
now. It's not always easy but definitely worthwhile as before I was throwing out the baby with the bathwater. And Irealize even more clearly today that although I didn't have the good of my dreams, it was a shame to not enjoy the‚good in my reality...Betty—UKTrustWhen I first came to EA I had BIG issues with trust, especially trusting other people, including those in EA. Remembering how I felt, I can then empathize with those who've recently shared about the pain of feeling rejected by those
who they thought they could be open with and trust. I also remember the 12 Step admonition, “Hurt people hurtpeople.” That said I want to share the response I got from a wise elder when I was still fairly new and was upset bythings someone said at a meeting. The response I got was—that's why we place principles before personalities(Tradition 12). I took this to mean that I needed to focus on the principles of the program and use them to deal withthe situation, rather than focus on the personalities of other people I encounter in meetings...JoeNot Alone
It's helpful to come and read from EAnon - to know I am not alone - to know it's human to be human. That being human is just fine. Better than trying to play GOD. I am tired, tired of playing thatrole. I can turn to HP and simply say I can't do this alone, I will do your will, not mine. HP always
makes it much simpler than the elaborate plan I cook up...ML
Editor’s note: EAnon is our online discussion group : EAnon information

2016—2017 EA BOARD OF THUSTEESGus 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 Region 6)

603-425-2141
hthnhhugs@yahoo.com(from Region 5/GST)Valerie C, NYTyrrel D, GA

John W, MN

585-371-4347
valcea@gmx.com
Secretary (from Region 5/GST)

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

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

President (from Region 2)

Thoughts from your Trustees: Helpful Concept
Concept 3: We respect anonymity—no questions asked. We
aim for an atmosphere of love and acceptance. We do notcare who you are or what you have done. You are welcome.
In this concept we see that hospitality is such a key thing for us in E.A. We
often struggle with shame and rejection issues. Conditional acceptance we’reused to in life!! In our program, we don’t put conditions on our welcoming ofothers. When we receive one another just as we are, we practice the kind ofrespect and positive regard that our Higher Power intends for us to show toothers. All are welcome!...ScottI have trouble accepting my past and myself. Early in the program it wascomforting to know others had made mistakes too. By accepting others I workat accepting myself. I have faith that a Higher Power will guide all of us to abetter way of living...ValAnonymity is a very important concept. Members can say anything and it stays
in the meeting. I have seen meetings close because someone has broken theanonymity of the members in the meeting. The only one who can break theiranonymity is the person himself. I broke my anonymity me when I became atrustee. This does not mean I can speak for EA because of this. I have gone tomany meeting throughout the country. At those meeting I experience love andacceptance. I recommend that you try to attend meeting where ever you visit.
You may find a tool or two to help in your recovery...Harold
Recall your first EA meeting and the hesitation you experienced before
walking through the door? I do. Who will I see? Who will see me? Myemotions were well at work, from fear to shame in having to admit that, yes, I
had hit an emotional bump in my life. Little did I know that thisEA Concept existed, nor it’s implications. I was saved, I waswelcomed, I was accepted, I was loved! Long Live Helpful
Concept 3!...Gus

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

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

Emotions Anonymous is delighted towelcome the following

new literature:

Literature: listed in Program Materials
The Common Thread: Mistaking Emotions for Reality“...the root of the problem — the common thread I have found — seems to be that we mistake our emotions, as well as all the thoughts in our head, for reality…” (form 21)

From Surviving to Thriving“The best part of this sense of thriving is that others in the program are drawn to join us in our wellness.
Wholeness can be contagious!” (form 26)

What is EA?
Why anonymity? “The promise of anonymity gives members the freedom to share real thoughts and feelings at meetings because what is said there will not be repeated to anyone else.“ (form 69)

Booklet: Listed in Books
Taking the Fear out of the 4th Step
“Many folks have never have done a 4th Step because the process seemed to be “too much” to them…... This
guide is intended to truly bring the expression “look for the good” into 4th Step program…..” (form 74)

OUR THANKS TO THE LITERATURE COMMITTEE AND SEASONED EAMEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN HARD AT WORK SHARING THEIR WISDOM,STRENGTH AND HOPE TO BRING US NEW MATERIALS