Monday, September 8, 2025

Who moved my cheese?

Who moved my cheese is a 1998 book by Spencer Johnson. In the book he outlines 4 responses to change...

In the story, two mice and two "little people" — people the size of mice — live in a maze. The mice, named Sniff and Scurry, are simpleminded and instinctive; they run the same path every day, eating cheese when they find it, but are always ready to move on. The littlepeople, Hem and Haw, search for a special kind of Cheese that makes them happy and fulfilled by keeping track of where they have found it before. All four discover a spot where their favorite cheese is regularly available, called Cheese Station C. The mice continue to run the entire maze each day while the littlepeople stop exploring and settle at Cheese Station C.

One day the supply at Cheese Station C is exhausted. The mice accept that there is no more cheese and continue their running path. The littlepeople sit at the station confused and upset. Hem protests that there ought to be Cheese, and Haw wonders where the mice have gone. Meanwhile, the mice find new supply of cheese at Cheese Station N. The littlepeople remain at Cheese Station C for several days, growing frustrated and hungry. Eventually Haw accepts that running the maze is the only way he will ever have Cheese again, faces his fear of moving on, and leaves Hem behind.

Haw finds crumbs of Cheese scattered around the maze and some other Cheese Stations that are already depleted. He returns to Cheese Station C and tells Hem there is other Cheese, but Hem refuses to budge. Haw continues exploring, writing observations about his journey on the walls of the maze, until he arrives at Cheese Station N which is stocked with all kinds of Cheese.

Haw reflects on the lessons he has learned and hopes that Hem will finally let go of his doubts. On the wall of Cheese Station N, he writes several lessons that change is inevitable and keeping up with it is the only way to continue having Cheese. 

Lessons for life...
  1. Anticipate change: Be ready for the cheese to move.
  2. Adapt quickly: The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you can enjoy new cheese.
  3. Change: Move with the cheese.
  4. Enjoy change: Savor the adventure and the taste of new cheese.
  5. Be ready to change quickly and enjoy it again: The cheese will keep moving.
It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

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