Thursday, March 14, 2013

A632.9.3.RB_HansardCarey


One of the best decisions I have ever made in my life was marrying my husband. I remember when he asked me and how wonderful it felt to say yes and think that we would be able to share our lives together. There was no back and forth decision making necessary in that situation. It is not as if we had discussed it ahead of time, I just knew it was what I wanted. Baba Shiv talks about being confident in your decisions because if you are not, this can have a negative impact on the way that other people respond. Because I was so sure and quick to answer, my husband was also confident that he had made the right decision for both of us. A positive outlook on the future, on my husband, and his family were helpful in being so confident. Obviously, when you are a young couple in love there will be passion which is a strong emotional reaction. In addition, excitement about the future and planning a wedding played a part in the emotional part of this decision. March 25th we will celebrate our 18 year anniversary and although there have been rough patches, I know I made the right decision for me and have never looked back.
A major life decision that I made that I was not as confident about was my decision to leave teaching and come to ERAU. I am not a spontaneous person in that regard. I had been at my previous job for 18 years, married for 16 at the time, and lived in the same house for 15 years; a stable person by all accounts. One day, a good friend tried to get me to come to ERAU. I was afraid to make the change and although I thought I was ready, in the end, the emotions of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty I was feeling were enough to keep me from making the leap. However, when she approached me again 2 years later, I was ready. I was emotionally done with public schools. It is all about the parents and students, meaning that they control the schools and teachers rather than the teachers and schools being able to make rules and lessons that work for the betterment of the school. Having said that, I still felt all of the same emotions I had before, but this time, they were amplified because I knew I wanted to leave. As you already know, I left teaching to come to ERAU. I am still not 100% confident in my decision, though. I have learned so much more here about technology and professionalism working here than I did at the school; however, I have also seen many people be let go here since I started 2 years ago. My friend keeps telling me it is because they were underperformers and that everyone is thrilled with the quality of my work and that will not happen to me. But, the thought is always in the back of my mind. Professionally, I have more confidence in the decision than I do personally. The growth I have experienced makes me more employable. Personally, I do not feel as secure here as I would like to but I feel like I have a lot more freedom here than I ever did in the school system.
Reference: Shiv, B. (Performer). (2011). Brain research at stanford: Decision making. [Web Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRKfl4owWKc

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