BOOK REVIEW: WHO MOVED MY CHEESE?

Dealing with change is often a challenge for most people. We like to dwell in familiar territory and have a tendency to shy away from the unknown. However, there's a saying that I learned years ago, “change is inevitable, growth is a choice.” Therefore, if we are going to advance in life, knowing how to adjust to change is essential. The book, “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Spencer Johnson is the perfect reference on how to effectively cope with change in life. The book depicts a story of two mice named “Sniff” and “Scurry” and two little people named “Hem” and “Haw” who are traveling through a maze in search of cheese. The mice live a simple life utilizing their basic instincts. They use a simple trial and error method going through the maze to locate cheese. The little people, on the other hand, complicate and over think everything. They rely on their complex brains to develop more sophisticated methods of finding cheese. The maze represents the various paths that we take in life in our quest for our individual cheese. The cheese is a “metaphor for what we want to have in life, whether it is a job, a relationship, money, a big house, freedom, health, recognition, spiritual peace or even an activity like jogging or golf.” It is that thing or things that are important to us.

The four characters would get up early each morning in search of cheese. Essentially they did what most of us do each day, awake early in the morning and prepare to go to work. Some days they would find a little cheese, some days a lot of cheese, and other days none. Until one day they respectively arrive at Cheese Station C, which was the cheese jackpot. This station consisted of the various types of cheeses that each character liked. They had “arrived” so to speak. They had found that thing that was important to them - their cheese. Each morning thereafter, the mice would arrive early, remove their shoes and tie them around their neck so that they would be readily accessible when needed. Essentially, they understood the importance of staying prepared for the future. On the other hand, as time pasted, the little people would stroll in later each morning. When they arrived they would throw their running shoes to the side and relax. They became complacent and thought they were secure. They became so comfortable that they didn't even notice what was happening around them.

One morning, Sniff and Scurry arrived at the station at their normal time and discovered that the cheese was gone. It didn't really surprise them, because they had noticed the supply of cheese dwindling each day. They simply removed their running shoes from around their neck and headed off into the maze in search of new cheese. After some time, they found Station N that had more cheese and was better then the previous one. Later that day Hem & Haw arrived at the station and was completely disturbed by what they saw. They both yelled, “who moved my cheese?” Unlike the mice, they hadn't paid attention to their environment and never noticed the decrease in the quantity of cheese. They spent the remainder of the day mad, in denial, searching around the station hoping to find their cheese. They awoke the next day and came back to the station hoping the cheese showed back up. In fact, they continued to do the same thing day after day, thinking things would get better. Instead they begin to get weak from hunger & stress.

Then one day, Haw busted out laughing. He begin to realize how foolish they were for doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. It finally clicked to him that if they were to change their current situation, they needed to change what they were doing. They needed to get up, find their running shoes and get back in the maze in search of new cheese. He begin to envision himself finding and enjoying new cheese in the maze, which motivated him even more to get moving. Hem on the hand, was overtaken by fear. He became very anger and refused to listen to Haw. As Haw ventured out into the maze each day in search of new cheese, Hem continued to go back to Station C in disgust.

Haw eventually found Cheese Station N and was reunited with Sniff and Scurry. Although his road was a little bumpy, he stayed with it and refused to give up. In finding Cheese Station N, his hard work and effort had paid off. However this time, he had learned from his past experience to stay aware of his environment and prepared for future change. The story ends with Haw hearing a sound in the bushes outside the station and Haw praying that his friend Hem had finally woke up.
Change is the only thing that is constant in life. As we venture through the maze of our individual lives, just like the characters in the book, we will encounter dead ends, detours, unexpected obstacles, etc. - CHANGE. How we react to change is totally up to us. We can choose to be like Sniff and Scurry and keep our running shoes polished and ready or waste time like Hem and Haw complaining instead of finding “New Cheese.”