What I Am Reading - Who Moved My Cheese?

Who Moved My Cheese

Dr. Spencer Johnson

99 pages large print, read it in paperback.

My boss assigned me work reading, this was that book.  I try not to turn down these opportunities as they arise.  It just seems in poor taste to do so.

The book itself could probably be read in an hour.  I split it up into two lunches.  It's easy and has more qualities to a kid’s story than a true book but it gets the job done.

I will keep it simple since the story is so simple.

Who Moved My Cheese tells the story of two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two miniature mouse sized humans named Hem and Haw.  They live in a big scary maze that can be dangerous at times.  All four of the little things go scampering throughout the maze.  One day they all come to a rather large room full of cheese.  Hem and Haw immediately kick back and begin planning their future with all of the cheese they have found.  Sniff and Scurry return to the cheese each day but spend their free time exploring the maze.  Hem and Haw get so comfortable with the cheese that they invite friends over and build a house, expecting the cheese to last forever.  One morning Hem and Haw wake up to Sniff and Scurry and no cheese.  Sniff immediately points his nose to the air and sends Scurry off into the maze quickly behind his heals.  Hem and Haw however sit mystified in their situation and wondered what to do.  Over time Haw decides to leave in search of new cheese as Sniff and Scurry did.  Hem just couldn't get over the fact that the cheese was gone and was convinced that it would come back.  He refused to leave and was so afraid of what the maze hid that he just could not overcome and go search for new cheese.  Well Haw strapped up his pumped up kicks and goes looking for new cheese.  It's scary but inevitably he finds new cheese and Sniff and Scurry.  The new cheese surpasses the old cheese in size, types, and flavors and Haw can't do anything but laugh at how foolish he was to think that the old cheese was the best it would ever get.

So basically the moral of the story is that change is a constant that can't be helped, as anything be it a worker, owner, spouse, or anything else, your job is to act like Sniff and Scurry.  Sniff and Scurry where always ready to move with change and even to anticipate it.  How you react to change will determine your success in the maze that is life.   Hooray and all that Jazz.