Who Moved My Cheese?

When my boss left for his new employment adventure, he gave each of my co-workers, and me, a book called "Who Moved My Cheese" by Dr. Spencer Johnson.

This book is AMAZING! It is the story of two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two little people, Hem and Haw, and tells the story of their methods of as well as their hesitancies toward finding new cheese when their cheese is no longer in its designated location in the maze. There were several several sentences in the book that caught my attention.

"What you are afraid of is never as bad as you
imagine. The fear you let build up in your mind is worse than the situation that
actually exists."

"When you change what you believe,
you change what you do."

"If you do not change, you may become
extinct."

Wow! I don't want to become extinct!! I better get with the program and become more flexible! Each character provides insight into our habits of adapting to change. I found that I have been all four characters at various times in my life. I have been able to sniff out the changes forthcoming and scurry into action, when I was living in the present moment and ready to embrance any new change. I've hemmed and hawed about taking the next step when I knew in my gut a step needed to be taken, but I was unwilling to do so at that moment because I was ruled by fear. I've also remained steadfast and refused to accept change as I hid under my blanket of denial, until I was ready to crawl out of my protective covering and read the "handwriting on the wall". I was able to readily identify where my attitudes about change and my behavioral approaches to change needed some...well...

changing! For me, the book really hit a major point in that I must be more aware of the subtle changes going on around me at any given time, and take appropriate action based on those subtle changes...versus...reacting to change as if a brick hit me upside the head. When I react to change versus acting with change, it's as if I'm frozen in a complete state of shock, which ultimately delays my ability to accept whatever change has occurred. If you haven't read this book, it is a must read in today's times. It was written in 1998, but with so many changes facing each and every one of us, and those we care about, one can never get enough insight on how to deal with the inevitable...CHANGE.