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My book review for the month is on a short story that will take you less than an hour to read, but is worth its weight in gold. This adorable little parable illustrates a moral truth. It is one of those short stories that you can relate to your own life whether it is a personal relationship, business, health or family situation.
The story characterizes four personalities (two are mice and two are little people the size of mice) who are intended to represent the simple and complex parts of our lives. The characters are placed in the maze of life and need to survive on cheese. They all set out by putting on their running shoes and looking through the maze for cheese. Once they find it they are very content, but once the cheese is all gone they are faced with making the decision to look for new cheese. For the mice, it is a "no-brainer." However, the little people have more complex minds that resist change and having to go after new cheese. It takes a while for them to realize the cheese is gone and they have to go back out into the maze and look for new cheese in order to survive.
The four imaginary characters are Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw. Every person who reads this book can identify with one of these characters and which one they admire or aspire to be like. You might be like Sniff who sniffs out change early, or Scurry who scurries into action, or Hem who denies and resists change as he fears it will lead to something worse, or Haw who learns to adapt in time when he sees change leads to something better.
In our business, it is very important to identify with the character who sniffs out and is willing to accept change. We all lead complex lives and without change our business, as we know it, will wither away. The book, Who Moved My Cheese, relates to understanding that change is a natural part of our lives and how important it is to anticipate it, monitor it, adapt to it, make the change and enjoy it! Be ready to keep changing again and again because they keep moving the cheese!
The book Who Moved My Cheese is written by Spencer Johnson, MD, who also co-authored The One Minute Manager. To purchase this book or to read other book reviews, go to DWCdesigNet.com and click on Bookstore.
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