Deal With the Relentless Changes Head On
“Who Moved My Cheese” by Spencer Johnson is hands down the book I needed to look into right now to boost my morale on adaptability and change. By using different “mice” and “little people”, Spencer portrayed four different personalities in reaction to change while creating this story-line that kept readers engrossed.
When Sniff and Scurry realized the change in a situation, they quickly reacted in no time and discovered something even better. Hem and Haw on the other hand had troubles due to their stubbornness in change. They continuously believed that their “cheese” or their situation was the optimal solution and since they were once living their life with that cheese comfortably, they didn’t want change. Therefore, when the cheese had disappeared, Hem and Haw didn’t know how to react. They waited for their cheese in hopes it came back, tried finding their cheese at the same spot which was no longer there which then soon led to frustration and desperation on top of refusal to search for that new cheese. Haw realized that if they kept pondering over it, they would soon become extinct, in comparison to the real world, their business would get shut down due to competitors. Haw then sought out for that “new cheese”, tumbling along the way, having his ups and downs and road blocks. In the end, he found enjoyment and anticipation in that journey of finding the new cheese in which when he finally found it, he was ecstatic. Hem took a while to break out of his shell and move towards change but with the help of Haw and his notes, he found his way.
Sometimes, Hem, things change and they are never the same again. This looks like one of those times. That’s life! Life moves on. And so should we. (Johnson, 45)
As time changes, so does everything around us. If we can’t accept the fact that the same thing we have been doing no longer works, it only fixates us in the center of the problem and no matter how much we try avoiding it. We need to be open to new ideas and when it comes to that realization, that is when we take that first step forward to a brand new door waiting for us to discover.
Source: Johnson, S. (2007). Who moved my cheese?: an amazing way to deal with change in your work and in your life. London: Vermilion.
This book showed me so many new visions of what I could do when I am trapped in the same circle. It taught me that sometimes the only way for myself to grow is to learn and analyze the situation and then seek out for the solution. I absolutely saw myself as Haw where I get so comfortable in doing something that it simply becomes a cycle. But then this question comes upon myself: How can I break this cycle? There is always room for improvement, room for change, and room for growth. It is up to the person to pick their heads up and and approach that change.
Below is a link to the animation based on the book which I highly recommend anyone to take 10 minutes out of their day and watch:
