Decision 08

Just my decision to stay in Taiwan or not. I still don't know. My contract is up the end of November so time is actually starting to run down if I want to stay on a good visa. I'll have to find a job and have the new visa paperwork go through.

Every day I think I've made a decision- either for or against- and then change my mind. It finally hit me that if I stay, I'll miss a lot of people in the US, and some things about the US. And if I go, I'll miss a lot of people in Taiwan, and a lot of things about Taiwan. I guess another way of looking at it is I'll have good things whichever decision I make, but I'm such a glass-is-half-empty person. :(

I'm becoming such a curmudgeon though about life in America. I just don't have patience to be in a country where so many people have guns (and use them) and little girls dress like tramps and health care is both poor and unaffordable. All of those things, I just can't imagine facing.

Anyways, I heard some good advice about making decisions I want to share:

1. Try to view the decision analytically, not emotionally
2. Write down the pros and cons
3. Evaluate the importance of each pro and con
4. Make a deadline for your decision
5. Once you've made a decision, put your energy and emotions behind it.

That last step seems to be the most important. Even my decision not to stay at my current job, which I truly believe is good overall, I keep second-guessing. I'll miss the kids, I'm comfortable here... no, stop! I need to put my emotions behind that at least.

As for my decision, financially and overall-job-satisfaction-wise, I'll be better off in Taiwan. But I think it's more important, for this decision, to figure out what I actually want. Which is...?