GM Drives Through the Glass Ceiling – Finally
A Detroit Free Press editorial underlines the significant cultural milestone of Mary Barra becoming the first woman head of a Big Three Automaker: “There is something especially notable, and pleasantly jarring, about a woman ascending to the top job at a company that has been so consumed with male ego and bravado.”

Avoiding the Idea of Death
Paul Wilkinson spots a new trend in sympathy cards. We seem to have gone from “died” to “passed away” to “passed” and now simply to “away.”

Being Against Gay Marriage Doesn’t Make You a Homophobe
A homosexual argues that people can oppose gay marriage without being “anti-gay.” While he still believes that those who are opposed to gay marriage are wrong, he provides distinctions that could help take some of the heat and anger out of this debate. Key line: ”Disagreement is not the same thing as discrimination. Our language ought to reflect that distinction”

And if you want to see real phobia in action look at how gay activists reacted to one of their own leaving their “lifestyle of death” to marry a woman, read Former Gay Activist Marries a Woman.

Raising A Generation of Helpless Kids
Tim Elmore of Growing Leaders has dedicated himself to developing Generation Y leaders (kids born between 1984 and 2002).  He says that many parents’ obsession with safety is ruining their kids’ prospects: “”We are consumed with protecting them instead of preparing them for the future. We haven’t let them fall, fail and fear. The problem is that if they don’t take risks early on like climbing the monkey bars and possibly falling off, they are fearful of every new endeavor at age 29.”

Where did we go wrong?

  • We’ve told our kids to dream big – and now any small act seems insignificant.
  • We’ve told our kids that they are special – for no reason, even though they didn’t display excellent character or skill, and now they demand special treatment.
  • We gave our kids every comfort – and now they can’t delay gratification.
  • We made our kid’s happiness a central goal – and now it’s difficult for them to generate happiness — the by-product of living a meaningful life.

And what are the uncomfortable solutions:

  • We need to let our kids fail at 12 – which is far better than at 42,
  • Kids need to align their dreams with their gifts.
  • Allow them to get into trouble and accept the consequences. It’s okay to make a “C-.” Next time, they’ll try harder to make an “A”.
  • Balance autonomy with responsibility. If your son borrows the car, he also has to re-fill the tank.
  • Collaborate with the teacher, but don’t do the work for your child. If he fails a test, let him take the consequences.

Riley Banks Q&A
And if that depressed you too much, read this inspirational story about a 17 year old girl who is making a profound impact in Kenya.

7 Enduring Lessons from “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Just to keep you in the holiday spirit, Matt Lewis “preaches a sermon” on the classic film. Here’s how he introduces his 7-pointer:

If you’re looking for proof of the decline of values, comparing two holiday movies — Love Actually and Frank Capra’s timeless black-and-white classic It’s a Wonderful Life — is illustrative.

The Atlantic’s Christopher Orr recently penned an excellent takedown of the former, calling it the “least romantic film of all time.” Among the pernicious lessons imparted, Orr says, is the notion “that love is overwhelmingly a product of physical attraction and requires virtually no verbal communication or intellectual/emotional affinity of any kind.”

Fortunately, It’s a Wonderful Life is still around. And in contrast to Love Actually, it’s chock-full of terrific lessons, ranging from moral to financial to practical. Here are seven…”

  • Andy Chance

    Do you consider a female CEO of GM to be a good thing? I couldn’t tell. If so, why? If not, why not?

    • http://headhearthand.org/blog/ David Murray

      I don’t suppose she can do a worse job than the men have done over the years! As a fan of Margaret Thatcher in her prime I hope she can similarly show the men how it should be done.

  • http://reformedheritage.wordpress.com Jacob

    I very much enjoy these worldview posts. Thank you for the work you put in to collecting and summarizing the information!

    • http://headhearthand.org/blog/ David Murray

      Thanks Jacob. I enjoy doing it.