A review of Who Moved My Cheese
Have you ever wondered why Jesus Christ taught in parables? Parables are mini-stories that can't be easily forgotten because they're relatable and are packed with lessons you could use to live a better life. Who Moved My Cheese? is that kind of story.
Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr. Spencer Johnson is a story-within-story about the inevitability of change and people’s reaction to it. Written like one of Jesus Christ’s parables, the main story is about four characters hustling for "Cheese" in a maze. There are two mice named Sniff and Scurry; and two little people named Hem and Haw. These characters serve as mirrors for the reader to assess themselves and know who they resemble most in their reaction to life matters.
In this story, the mice are given simple emotions, while the little people are more complicated, just like humans. Their personalities are shown through their reactions to the disappearance of a particular mound of cheese (Cheese Station C) they've been living on for a while. The mice were always prepared to move at any sight of change, so they were able to adjust quickly in order to hustle for more cheese.
However, the little people were different. They made themselves comfortable near Cheese Station C, believing that their period of abundance would never come to an end. So they were shocked when it did. It’s quite ironic that the characters with complex brains were the ones who never expected nor prepared for change. They lamented their misfortunes and couldn’t believe it could happen to them- the special and smarter ones. This shows how self-conceited we humans can be. Change is constant and inevitable. In fact, we could say, that change is life itself. What doesn’t change is probably dead. Despite the immense knowledge man has about life, it’s astonishing how easily he forgets this fact.
The cheese drought at Cheese Station C brought out the worst in Hem and Haw. Until Haw changed from within and could see the possibilities that came with change. Then he went searching for the change he wanted to have, instead of settling for being unhappy with the change that came to his doorstep, the way his friend, Haw did.
Who Moved My Cheese? is an interesting story filled with insightful lessons that are hidden by its short length. Like the book said, it will take you less than an hour to read the book. But you need a second read to assimilate the lessons you will learn from this book. You might even need a third read to learn how to implement what you learnt in your life.
Here are some of the things I learnt while reading the book;
- Seek change. Don’t be afraid of it.
- If you want something from life, don’t expect it to drop into your laps. You have to search for it, without fear.
- Journaling your process is important. You articulate your thoughts better. And they later serve as motivation for your downtimes and pointers to find yourself whenever you feel lost.
- Believing something makes it more real to you. If you believe there’s something better out for you, you will be more eager to find it.
- Stop dwelling on your regrets when you need to make adjustments.
