Hi LactNetters,

I have been off and on LactNet over the course of the summer so I'll
reintroduce myself.  My name is Kendall Cox and I am an LLLL in the
Mississippi Delta.  I also do bfing counseling for WIC.  I am mom to Caleb
and Lesedi, 3.5 y.o. twins.

I came across the following in my latest Utne Reader and I'd like to get
your comments on it:

James Thornton was a very successful litigator for the Natural Resources
Defense Council.  But "after winning more than 100 federal cases, he came to
the realization that the tools at the environmental movement's disposal were
insufficient to solve the global ecological crisis.  What was needed, he
concluded, was 'a large-scale shift in consciousness as a culture.'  So he
quit his job and spent the next 14 months practicing Zen and searching for a
way to integrate his two passions:  earth and spirit.

"At one point, he visited the Dalai Lama and was advised to 'become
confident and positive in yourself and then you can help others become
confident and positive.  A long-term solution can't be based on anger.'
Thinking that over, James realized that anger had been the primary
motivating force for him and many of his colleagues, and it was having a
corrosive effect on the movement.  Shortly afterwards, he formed an
organization called Positive Futures to teach ecologists meditation and give
them a more enlightened perspective on their work.  He also began writing
his forthcoming book on the ecology of the inner life.  None of this could
have happened, of course, if he hadn't taken his first daring leap.  Once he
did, the forces of the universe lined up behing him and pushed him forward.
'Following the deep urges of my heart... has opened many doors for me.  And
they continue to open and open.'"

Comments?  My intention in posting this is not to flame anyone--I struggle
with the anger/confident, positive source myself.  Except for the name and a
few other changes, this could be our story as individuals and as a group.

Stay well,
Kendall Cox
Mississippi Delta