THE EA CONNECTION: FEBRUARY 2020
EA TOOLS FOR RECOVERY
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 orwhat 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 expressHimself 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.

FROM YOUR EA BOARD OF TRUSTEES
When I went to my first Emotions Anonymous meeting, I did not know what to expect. Everyone has emotions, so it
seemed to me like a group that would be open to anyone. I realized quickly that it indeed was, and as a result, the groupattracts a wide diversity of people from those who very recently experienced trauma to people whose ‘life changing’
event was far in the past.
I got through the worst of my pain a few years before going to my first EA meeting. Even though I had attended yearsof personal therapy sessions, I realized once I started working EA’s steps that there was so much more work for me to
do before being as emotionally healthy as I could and deserved to be.
The steps are all important in their own special way in the process of getting to emotional healing and freedom. And
they all have one thing in common: they are humbling. For most of my life, I have considered myself to be a decent
person. But going through the steps, I realized that I had so many chips on my shoulder that I needed to ‘brush off’. It
sounded like if I admitted that I was powerless over my emotions that I was out of control. But I learned in time thatadmitting the full awesomeness of the power of my emotions was the only way to be set free from the grips of them.
When I approached the self-inventory step, I thought it would be a breeze because I thought I was very self-aware, butthere was a great discovery of previously unaccounted for defects, and strengths, for me in this exercise. I made amends
to people who I was holding grudges against for past grievances; it was cleansing, but I have more people on my list.
And previous to this program, the ability to meditate eluded me. However, persistence helped me find a quiet place thathas been beneficial when there is a lot of noise in my life. I am grateful that this program exists and will do my best to
never take it for granted. Paul N, Trustee

www.EmotionsAnonymous.org
Box 4245 St Paul, MN 55104
Phone 651-647-9712
Hours Mon—Thurs: 10 to 3:00 CST

director@emotionsanonymous.org
connection@emotionsanonymous.org
groupdata@emotionsanonymous.org
orders@emotionsanonymous.org

Special Gifts and Memorials
Bill B will be deeply missed by all of us, but he left us with wonderful memories.
Gloria B and Sunnyvale, CA EA GroupRECOVERY USING THE TOOLS OF EAStep 2: Came to believe thata Power greater thanourselves could restore usto sanity.
I came to believe that I could berestored to sanity. In people, my life
and in recovering people I saw theevidence. But I'm mindful that likeany relationship the one with my HP
needs attention and all the otheringredients that lead to healthy
relationships. Often times withouteven realizing, it, I move away frommy HP. Then I blame him for leaving
me until finally I realize that it is I thathave moved away from my HP notvice versa.
I also need to keep in mind that mymental health, sobriety andultimately my life are contingent on
the maintenance of my spiritualcondition and my relationship with
God as I understand him or her.
Step 2 is an ongoing process for me.
My insanity and my mental illness forme are 2 separate but interlinked
things. My insanity was doing thesame thing over and over again but
expecting a different result. ''I know,
but this time it will be different''. That
was my thought so I kept doing what
i was doing and got what I always got.
Faith doesn't come natural to me.
My faith ebbs and flows. I'd like tosay that my faith is constant andunwavering but that isn’t true.
The basis of my faith comes from my''bad and painful' experiences. I say
that because through hell and highwater, my HP has brought methrough it. That is the evidence. Not
what my head tells me.
I can't trust my head. It wants mealone, in bed, duvet over my head,
isolated, not answering the phone,
the door, the mail. It wants me
blaming you, and thinking that you
are my enemy. Ultimately, I believethat my head wants me dead. The

only enemy I have today is my head.
That has been the case for most ofmy recovery.
The anti-venom to my head for me isto stick close to recovering people,
work the steps, do the next rightthing and cultivate gratitude.
Gratitude allows joy to enter into mylife. Thanks for being here. Without
you, there is no me.
hugs...Adam
I am gratefully POME, POOP, PO
many other things but I am
absolutely not Powerless over myActions or my Attitude ever.
This week I had someone who
abused me when I was a little girlsincerely apologize to me. It was asincere apology from the heart withno counter accusations and noexcuses. I am extremely Grateful.
Step 2 talks about a Power greaterthan myself. I am pretty certain if itwere not for this Power (Sprit,Father, Jesus, for me), that is aconstant source of good, unfailinglove, comfort, guidance, wisdom, joy
and peace, I could not be at a place
where I would allow an abuser frommy past close enough to my life or
my heart to offer an apology. I know
there is an enemy out there who likes
to keep us tangled in the pain, thebad memories, the trauma and thetorment…. The enemy has been
defeated! My Higher Power truly isamazing...Jessica
Step 2 is a step of HOPE. Without
hope, life is a dark hole. I haveexperienced being in that dark hole
but thanks to the EA program I'mchoosing not to go there any
more...CarolSlogan 2: You are not alone I
used to think that I was all alone
and really had no one to rely on but
myself. I used to think I had to do
everything all on my own and that I
had to be totally self-sufficient. NowI know that self-sufficient is a lie. I
need people! So, I no longer isolate
and try to be a part of not only 12
step groups, but part of life daily. I try
to not add misery to any one’s life
and if I do, I try to make amends rightaway.
If I am lonely, I try to remember that
my Higher Power is always with me.
That I am never alone! I also try toreach out to others whether online
or at face to face meetings or just inlife in general. Sometimes I ask myHigher Power to give me the courage
to reach out to someone when I am
nervous about it, too.
I am grateful for those in recovery
who keep coming back and keep
sharing what works for them. When
we share our solutions and what weare doing that is helping us, we areable to help others.
I have learned how to live serenely,even with unsolved problems, by
coming to EA meetings. And I havelearned lots of solutions that I amvery grateful for.
When I hear someone dealing with aloss and I see how they are coping byreaching out, that gives me courage
to reach out when I am dealing witha loss, too. And when I hear someone
struggling and having a tough time,
but I hear they are going to meetings,
reading literature and praying, I
know that they are in the solution
and that is always helpful and gives
me hope that I can do that when I am
having a tough time, too.
When I don't isolate, when I keep
being a part of Emotions
Anonymous, I will never really bealone again! I will keep being able tohear all the good things I hear inthese 12 step rooms and hope by thegrace of a loving Higher Power, that I
can keep sharing good things I havelearned, too…Connie

DISCOVERING THE TOOLS OF EA
Reflection for Today August 19: Love
The intrinsic value of love is hard to measure or describe. Love encourages brotherhood and acceptance of others. It allows
appreciation of one’s surroundings. Love is easily detected in how one responds to annoyances and diversity. It promotes
thinking of the positive aspects of daily situations rather than on the negative failures and shortcomings. Love is being
truthful in our relationships with others and is expressed in our response to everyday life because it is not limited byboundaries.
Meditation for Today
Help me to sincerely love and appreciate the life I am privileged to live each day.
Today I will remember
Love without truth is not good; neither is truth without love.

How to Love
I am grateful to EA because EA as really taught me how to "love". I definitely used to think love was like banking —you put
something in—and get something back. I don't think I consciously knew I was thinking this way until EA. When I started EA,
I was so down on life and myself and I really felt like I had lost my capacity to love anything. I felt complete- ly abandoned.
I now realize that I was using my love almost like a terrorist, yes, I did a lot of things that "seemed" nice but I really did think
I was banking good deeds for people to then do for me...this is not love, it is manipulation. I see this now, thanks to EA.
Thanks to EA, I realized that I had to begin by taking care of myself in order to really learn what love is, that I should never
do anything for anyone else that I would not do for me, or am not doing for me. This is what love my neighbor as myself
means, to love me first, so I can love others. Now I get too that love needs to be given away for free, no strings attached,no expectations, no unspoken contracts. This is a huge concept to understand and it was a huge concept for me to learn toembrace. I now think of love this way. It is a far more peaceful way than I used to think of love, a very unselfish way, and away that helps me to not feel resentful towards people anymore too as I only give the love that I can and want to give….Kelly

Being LovedMy first experience in the area of being loved was EA. I was totally accepted with no strings attached. With the help of
these great people, I learned to accept their love. I learned that love is not control or manipulation. Love is letting peo- plebe themselves and loving them that way. Your love has no strings attached. Help me to love the same way." I have been
thinking that there are still times I do not let others express their feelings fully around me. Or to tell me what they think
when their opinion is very different from my own! I tend to want to fix them or run away and hide if they are expressing
something that threatens my idea of myself or even what recovery in the program "should" look like. Darn if that selfrighteous part of me isn't tricky! Yet, I would like to be that EA friend that "lets you have total freedom to be yourself - andespecially to feel. Or, not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at the moment is fine with them. That's what real loveamounts to - letting a person be what he really is. I will re-set my course and believe I can be the friend I want to see in theworld...Ham SahLove & Honesty
Words are very important to me and are to be used wisely. There is responsibility involved when using the word love. Loveis the antidote to all but it cannot always be given freely and honestly by humans. Unconditional love is a tough thing tocontinually offer. But I try my best and am getting better and better at this. This love I extend to others is also necessary toextend to myself. I try to be an honest person and at times when dealing with others I have found it quite necessary to be
direct with them. This may seem unkind but they have over- stepped boundaries and need to be informed. I feel it is better
they understand than continue to be disillusioned. I try to do this as kindly as I can, it is not always taken as such. Over thisI have no control. I do not and cannot take the word love lightly nor use this term to please someone or to be dishonestwith them. I would be doing them and I a great disservice to lead them into thinking something that is not true. Being kindis one thing, saying things I do not mean to get a result I want is not in anyone’s best interest...Twyla----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thank you for being part of the Emotions Anonymous International (“EAI”) fellowship and submitting your suggestions, writings,concepts, images, testimonials, and other materials to share with others. Please know that by submitting material, you are allowing
the EAI organization to use it. All materials (except your personal information) submitted by any means become the property of theorganization upon submission. EAI copyrights materials so that members may be assured that anything with the EAI name on it has
been verified as being true to the program; submitted materials may be edited to achieve this.

2019 - 2020 EA Board of Trustees
Please feel free to contact members of the Board with questions or concerns.
Minutes of the Board of Trustees Meeting can be viewed here.

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
Derita P, OH 216-624-3559 deritapippen@gmail.com Treasurer
Paul N, NJ 201-264-1807 paul@nobleequity.com Trustee
Steve B, CA 909-438-4938 stevebell_28@yahoo.com Trustee

The Twelve Promises—EA Book pages 70-71
These Promises may seem idealistic, exaggerated, or extravagant at first, but they really are possible. As we thoroughly and honestly work the program through Step 9, we start to notice new attitudes and feelings in ourselves. Some ofthese promises may be realized quickly, others slowly, but they all develop naturally as a result of honestly working theEA Program

Promise 2: We do not regret the past or wish to shut the door on it.
When I regret things, I wish they didn’t happen. When I shut the door, I’m cutting myself off from the past - keeping itfrom other’s awareness. The past is integral to who I am. I can only be grateful for my past – even the painful parts. My
past made me who I am. Sometimes I am selective in terms of what I dwell on and whom I share things with. That’s
neither regret nor shutting the door – that’s discernment - exercising good judgment. Can I trust that this is a good timeand a good person to share this with and reflect upon it? That’s the key!...Scott J, Trustee
My biggest regret in life was the fact that I left a good job. The way the promises are written in the Big Book, the bookentitled Alcoholics Anonymous, is as if we don't have these promises but we can attain them. This promise is written,"We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it." That tells me that I have to do something in order for thatto happen. These 12 promises come true after we have completed the 9th step. Newcomers come to a few meetings
and wonder why they are not feeling these promises, especially in meetings where the 12 steps are not the focus. So,
newcomers get discouraged and don't come back. I am so very grateful that my early meetings and the meetings I go to
now focus on the program, the 12 steps... Derita P. Trustee
This is one of my favorite promises because regrets and resentments–the two Rs–seem to go hand-in-hand for me andhave always posed a danger to my emotional health. I have to continually remind myself that I have great tools tomanage these pests. The 4th and 5th Steps give me a chance to get my tormenting ghosts out into the open and to sharethem with another person and with my Higher Power. The 8th and 9th Steps give me a chance to make amends to myselfand others, allowing me to reconcile my past with my present and set a new course for the future...Colleen C, Trustee‘Move past it,’ ‘Get over it’: these are phrases that we hear when we go through something traumatic in our lives. Infact, I think a lot of us join the fellowship due to these traumas. In some respects, this advice is valid. In order to moveforward in the world and experience a life guided through our Higher Power, we need to put past events in a healthy
context. If we don’t, it can cause us to act inconsistently with how we truly want to relate to the world. Heal from thepast, but don’t forget it, so that we can grow from it...Paul N