AnAmazingWaytoDealWithChangeInYourWork&InYourLife
　　DRSPENCERJOHNSON
　　“Cheese”–ametaphorforwhatwewanttohaveinlife,whetheritisajob,arelationship,money,abighouse,freedom,health,recognition,spiritualpeace,orevenanactivitylikejoggingorgolf.
　　EachofushasourownideaofwhatCheeseis,andwepursueitbecausewebelieveitmakesushappy.Ifwegetit,weoftenbecomeattachedtoit.Andifweloseit,orit’stakenaway,itcanbetraumatic.
　　ONCE,longago,therelived4littlecharacterswhoranthroughamazelookingforcheesetonourishthem&makethemhappy.
　　Twoweremicenamed“Sniff”&“Scurry”andtwowerelittlepeoplenamed“Hem”&“Haw”.
　　Everymorning,themice&thelittlepeopledressedintheirrunninggear&headedovertoCheeseStationCwheretheyfoundtheirownkindofcheese.ItwasalargestoreofCheesethatHem&Haweventuallymovedtheirhomestobeclosertoit&builtasociallifearoundit.
　　Tomakethemselvesfeelmoreathome,Hem&Hawdecoratedthewallswithsayings.Oneread:"HavingCheeseMakesyouHappy".
　　HavingCheeseMakesYouHappy
　　Onemorning,Sniff&ScurryarrivedatCheeseStationC&discoveredtherewasnocheese.
　　Theyweren’tsurprised.Sincetheyhadnoticedthesupplyofcheesehadbeengettingsmallereveryday,theywerepreparedfortheinevitable&knewinstinctivelywhattodo.TheywerequicklyoffinsearchofNewCheese.
　　Laterthatsameday,Hem&Hawarrived.“What!NoCheese?WhomovedmyCheese?It’snotfair!”,Hemyelled.Theywenthomethatnighthungry&discouraged.Butbeforetheyleft,Hawwroteonthewall:
　　TheMoreImportantYourCheeseisToYou,TheMoreYouWantToHoldOntoIt.

　　ThenextdayHem&Hawlefttheirhomes,&returnedtoCheeseStationC.Butsituationhadn’tchanged.Hawasked,“WhereareSniff&Scurry?Doyouthinktheyknowsomethingwedon’t?”Hemscoffed,“Whatwouldtheyknow?They’rejustsimplemice.Theyjustrespondtowhathappens.We’relittlepeople.We’resmarter.”
　　Hawsuggested,“Maybeweshouldstopanalyzingthesituationsomuchandjustgetgoing&findsomeNewCheese.
　　HawdecidedtoleaveCheeseStationCwhileHemwasmorecomfortablestayinginthecheeselessStationC.Hawannounced,“It’sMAZEtime!”andwrote:
　　IfYouDoNotChange,
　　YouCanBecomeExtinct
　　WhoMovedMyCheese?
　　Meanwhile,Sniff&ScurrywentfartherintothemazeuntiltheyfoundCheeseStationN.Theyfoundwhattheyhadbeenlookingfor:agreatsupplyofNewCheese.Itwasthebiggeststoreofcheesethemicehadeverseen.
　　Hawontheotherhandbecomemoreanxious&wonderedifhereallywantedtogooutintotheMaze.Hewroteasayingonthewallaheadofhim&staredatitforsometime:
　　WhatWouldYouDo
　　IfYouWeren’tAfraid?
　　Hawnowrealizedthatthechangeprobablywouldnothavetakenhimbysurpriseifhehadbeenwatchingwhatwashappeningallalongandifhehadanticipatedchange.Hestoppedforarest&wroteonthewalloftheMaze:
　　SmellTheCheeseOften
　　SoYouKnow
　　WhenItIsGettingOld.
　　HawwonderedifHemhadmovedon,orifhewasstillparalyzedbyhisownfears.Then,HawrememberedthetimeswhenhehadfelthisbestintheMaze.Itwaswhenhewasmovingalong.Hewrote:
　　MovementInANewDirectionHelpsYouFind
　　NewCheese.
　　AsHawstartedrunningdownthedarkcorridor,hebegantosmile.Hawdidn’trealizeityet,buthewasdiscoveringwhatnourishedhissoul.Hewaslettinggo&trustingwhatlayaheadforhim,eventhoughhedidnotknowexactlywhatitwas.

　　Tohissurprise,Hawstartedtoenjoyhimselfmore&more.Hestoppedtowriteagainonthewall:
　　WhenYouMoveBeyondYourFear,
　　YouFeelFree.
　　WhoMovedMyCheese?
　　Tomakethingsevenbetter,Hawstartedtopaintapictureinhismindagain.Hesawhimselfingreatrealisticdetail,sittinginthemiddleofapileofallhisfavoritecheeses-fromCheddartoBrie!Hesawhimselfeatingthemanycheesesheliked,&heenjoyedwhathesaw.
　　ThemoreclearlyhesawtheimageofhimselfenjoyingNewCheese,themorereal&believableitbecame.Hewrote:
　　ImaginingMyself
　　EnjoyingNewCheese,
　　EvenBeforeIFindIt,
　　LeadsMeToIt.
　　Hawwonderedwhyhehadalwaysthoughtthatachangewouldleadtosomethingworse.Nowherealizedthatchangecouldleadtosomethingbetter.
　　ThenheracedthroughtheMazewithgreaterstrength&agility.UntilhefoundbitsofNewCheese.HeenteredtheCheeseStationbutitwasempty.Someonehadalreadybeenthere.
　　Hestopped&wroteonthewall:
　　TheQuickerYou
　　LetGoOfOldCheese,
　　TheSooner
　　youFindNewCheese.
　　HawmadehiswaybacktoCheeseStationCtoofferHembitsofNewCheesebutwasturneddown.HemwantedhisownCheeseback.HawjustshookhisheadindisappointmentbutthisdoesnotstophimfromfindingNewCheese.Hesmiledasherealized:
　　ItIsSafer
　　ToSearchInTheMaze
　　ThanRemain
　　InTheCheeselessSituation.
　　Hawrealizedagain,thatwhatyouareafraidofisneverasbadaswhatyouimagine.Thefearyouletbuildupinyourmindisworsethanthesituationthatactuallyexists.

　　Herealizesitwasnaturalforchangetocontinuallyoccur,whetheryouexpectitornot.Changecouldsurpriseyouonlyifyoudidn’texpectit&weren’tlookingforit.
　　Whenherealizedhehadchangedhisbeliefs,hepausedtowriteonthewall:
　　OldBeliefs
　　DoNotLeadYouTo
　　NewCheese.
　　WhoMovedMyCheese?
　　Hawnowrealizedthathisnewbeliefswereencouraginghimtobehaveinanewway.Hewasbehavingdifferentlyfromthewayhehadwhenhehadkeptreturningtothesamecheeselessstation.
　　Italldependsonwhatyouchoosetobelieve.Hewroteonthewall:
　　WhenYouSeeThatYouCanFindAndEnjoyNewCheese,YouChangeCourse.
　　Hawjusthopedhewasheadingintherightdirection.HethoughtaboutthepossibilitythatHemwouldreadTheHandwritingOnTheWall&findhisway.
　　Hewroteonthewallwhathehadbeenthinkingaboutforsometime:
　　NoticingSmallChangesEarlyHelpsYouAdaptToTheBiggerChangesThatAreToCome.
　　HecontinuedonthroughtheMazewithgreaterstrength&speed.Heproceededalongacorridorthatwasnewtohim,roundedacorner,&foundNewCheeseatCheeseStationNwherehesawthegreatestsupplyofCheesehehadeverseen.Sniff&Scurrywelcomedhim.
　　“HoorayforChange!”
　　HawwrotedownasummaryofwhathehadlearnedonthelargestwallofCheeseStationN&smiledashelookedatwhathehadlearned:
　　THEHANDWRITINGONTHEWALL
　　?ChangeHappens
　　?AnticipateChange
　　?MonitorChange
　　?AdaptToChangeQuickly
　　Change
　　?EnjoyChange!
　　?BeReadyToChangeQuickly&EnjoyItAgain.
　　MoveWithTheCheese&
　　EnjoyIt!