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!
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