Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson is a short storybook with a meaningful message for today’s youths. The book gives clear answers to some questions that always wander in our minds, such as what is change, what does it bring, and what happens to a man who is living a happy life when change comes and takes away all his happiness. However, it also provides invaluable insights into how we can deal with changes in work and life.
This book is a small story that has changed the lives of millions of people and engaged them with their work and life. In this story, there are four characters: two mice named Sniff and Scurry, and two people who are the same size as mice named Hem and Haw. These four characters represent parts of us, as sometimes we may act like Sniff, who sniffs out change early, Scurry, who scurries into action, Hem, who denies and resists change as he fears it will lead to something worse, or Haw, who learns to adapt when he sees changing leads to something better. They are all searching for cheese in a maze, which is a metaphor for what we want to have in life, such as a relationship, career, freedom, health, or job.
When the cheese disappears, Scurry and Sniff enthusiastically head out into the maze to find new cheese, but Hem and Haw feel betrayed and complain. They waste their time and energy hoping the old cheese will return. Haw realizes the old cheese won’t return, so he sets out into the maze in search of new cheese. He writes what he learns on the walls hoping that Hem will follow him. Eventually, he discovers new cheese and sees that Scurry and Sniff were already there.
This book teaches us that every happiness has sorrow, and every sorrow has happiness. Although we may be in our comfort zone, we will meet with a change that can come in the shape of a hardship. We are always afraid of change, but when we meet with a change in our work, in our life, in our professional life, or somewhere else, we just regret that change occurred. We only shout at the change like Hem and Haw until we observe that the change is going to bring new things. One thing is very famous within us, that we give up when a change comes in our life. We need not fear changes, rather we should consider them as opportunities, which can be a gateway to a more comfortable zone. We need to learn and know that every bitter change is an opportunity to learn about ourselves and the situations that lead us to deal with hardships.
Apart from this, we may sometimes shout at situations like little humans, but that is not the solution. The solution is that we need to be prepared before the change comes. If it comes, it should not bring difficulties for us. We should keep in mind that changes are going to come whether in life, relationships, businesses, educational career, etc. Actually, changes are a sign of experiencing new things and the gateway to success. So, after reading this book, I knew that changes are normal in life and can bring something interesting to our lives. If you want to know about the change, pick up this book.
By Mujahid Naseer