Decision-making - how to approach it

Q: I have an important decision to make.  I find myself in a position I've been in before with other decisions.  I am at a standstill and seem to be immobilized by indecision, afraid of making the wrong choice and hurting someone without meaning to.  In this particular case, I am afraid of pain caused to the person I will replace if I accept a new job.  Can you help me break through this impasse? M.C.

A:  First, remove the judgment from yourself.  You simply have different options, not a choice between "right" and "wrong."  Joseph Campbell, the great mythologist, once said something like this, "Whatever is good for someone will always seem to be evil for someone else."  Remember that whichever choice you make will not be a wrong choice, just different from the other options you have.

Second, remember that when you were born you were given only one person to be with 24-7, until you die.  That person is yourself.  Only you can be responsible for your well-being and choices, and your choices must be based on your own path and well-being.  Therefore, if it is the best choice for you, it will ultimately be best for all others concerned.  If it is not best for you, it will not be best for anyone else.  In your particular case, it is possible that the person you will replace needs to be released from this position in order to move on to something better for him or her.

Third, the best guidance comes from within:  "Come from the heart; stay in the present; keep it simple."

I wish you the best.