Who Moved My Cheese?

There is a beautiful quote that I picked up many years from a mentor who quoted it while addressing a gathering, and it went like this: "In times of great change learners inherit the earth, but those who refuse to learn find themselves beautifully equipped for a world that no longer exists." I am thinking afresh of this quote as I think on how the pandemic has turned the world upside down since last year also in relation to how we do things. In a very personal sense, I have had to transition from a classroom teacher to an online educator and in the process discover how both are very different though they belong to the same industry. In such a situation, what could I do? Fold my arms and be grumpy about the situation? Resign to the situation helplessly? 

How do we cope with change? How do we respond in the face of imminent change? Dr. Spencer Johnson in his book Who Moved My Cheese? explores these thoughts and provides a response on how best we might face change. First, the book has a story within a story: there is this group of friends having a reunion and as the story of Cheese is narrated in the course of their discussions. Second, the Cheese story is the main story which revolves around four characters and how they respond to a crisis: the loss of Cheese. Third, as the story reverts back to the group of friends, we get drawn into the discussion as we not only listen to their confessions but reflect on ourselves: which of the four characters best define us?

So what is the Cheese in the story? It stands for what we are pursuing in life and what happens when the ideal condition, the security, the comfort zone is taken away. Do we go into anger and denial at the turn of events? Do we get trapped in fear and become unwilling to take risks? Do we learn to adapt to move on? Do we maintain an awareness of the changing conditions so that we are not caught by surprise? Explore the answers to these questions as you read through this short and yet insightful book. 

Thank you for your time, 

kk