The business bestseller “Who moved my cheese?” by Dr. Spencer Johnson was published in 1998. The story depicts the diverse situations in which people find themselves and their attitudes when they face them. This book shows that our attitude is what defines us and proves who we really are. What we do in life and how we present ourselves to others is not important, but the way we overcome and face challenges.
The story revolves around 4 characters. There are 2 mice called “Sniff”, one named “Scurry” and two small people called “Hem”, and another “Haw”. The maze they lived in symbolized someone’s life and the cheese that they were hunting symbolized success and happiness. The cheese is what is important to the characters and it is their reason for living. Our situation is different. We live to succeed and achieve our daily goals. Every person has a unique way to accomplish their goals and overcome obstacles. When we reach our goals and achieve the things we wanted, we can feel like characters when they have achieved their goal. We connect easily to certain things and are unprepared for changes if they are no longer there. “Sniff”, “Scurry”, and other animals are more accustomed to change than we are. The strategy they used was experimentation in order to achieve what they were after, the desired cheese. Station C was their constant stop to review the area. They planned their entire day around cheese. Although they ate enough cheese each day, they did not eat the whole cheese bar when they first saw it. After that, they returned to the station to discover that no more cheeses were available. In this case, the cheeses were already prepared and they knew what to expect.
Two types of people are addressed by the mice. Sniff is for the type of person who doesn’t react to change and has a plan in place. Scurry converses with people who have an answer for everything. It does not matter what is happening in their lives. People like this are the ones that take action. These characters offer a way of overcoming challenges and adjusting to changes in the everyday world.
There are also two other characters, who are not mice. Hem is the first character that does not like to accept changes. He is afraid of anything that could happen. Haw is another person who can endure change. He knows that life is not over when changes happen, but that he can find a new way to live with patience and determination. I think these characters seem more human. Although it would be ideal to be like mice and accept changes rapidly, not get attached to anything and search for arrangement, it can still prove difficult. Four characters taught us that it is okay to accept and overcome changes. We will be unable to achieve our goals if we fear these challenges. In order to accomplish our goals, we must act outside of the comfort zone and in a different way. Everyone has experienced bad times, faced challenges and is sometimes afraid of these situations. We will be successful if we act in the right way and face challenges.
In the book “Who Moved My Cheese?,” we were told that we must know who we are and what we want. When you are clear about your needs and goals, you will have a much easier time. Positive thoughts and feelings will help visualize your goals and visualise the best possible outcomes. You must also maintain your own identity in difficult times and never change it. You can be better or more successful with changes, but they shouldn’t change your core values. Our mistakes are a way to learn. Life is full of mistakes and it’s difficult to “just learn” from them. We learn from our mistakes and try to avoid them in the future. It’s normal and fine to make changes. Changes are normal and we shouldn’t be afraid of them. We should just be aware, adapt and work to resolve them.
I think that after analyzing and considering everything, I am more like Hem than Haw. It is hard for me to accept and understand that changes are normal and inevitable. I overthink things, am shocked by horrible circumstances and am afraid of change. Last year, my grandfather passed away. This caused a change in the way I live. It is the biggest change I’ve ever experienced, and I had to act like Haw this time. I had to accept the change. Then I had to conquer it, find answers and make my family happy. As the days passed, I realized that life goes on and I had to be strong. The first time I thought my life was halted forever, and now I’m a new person with a new perspective who can tolerate some changes. I’m acting like mice today. Though I’m not as perfect as others, I’m working to improve myself and be happier with life. We learn from mistakes, and I was taught by this situation that changes can be positive if we accept them.