I went to the bookstore recently and saw a translated copy of “Who Moved My Cheese?” lining up in the best selling corner. I thought the title was interesting, so I pulled up the original English version in Amazon and placed an order.
The book is really short, just around 90 pages. It depicts the story of 4 characters, Sniff, Scurry, Hem, and Haw who are faced with change and it shows how each character reacts to and deals with it. Sniff is able to sniff out changes that are happening around it, Scurry takes immediate action, Hem completely resists, and Haw adapts to change when he realizes it could lead to something better.
The narrative is told in such a simple way that even kids could understand its meaning. But the simple lesson learned from this short story is so easily forgettable because humans get comfortable with their current condition so easily that when Change comes, they felt that someone suddenly pulled the rug from under their feet.
While reading the book, I thought to myself so many times how I’m similar to Hem. I try not to perceive change since it’s so tiring and basically a pain. I laughed at myself since that’s basically how my attitude is towards work these days. I’d scream, “That’s not fair!” to a lot of the situations I’m put into. But actually that predicament is sometimes the result of my own behavior.
I also saw an aspect of myself in Haw. He was thinking of all the things that he’ll lose if he changes, instead of the things that he could gain instead. But he realizes that midway and started to change courses.
My favorite line in the book also came from one of Haw’s messages: “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” Fear controls our actions so much that it hinders us from being able to think properly and take action. I find myself in this situation so much that it’s almost too relatable. I think it’s important to recall this line when I find myself back in square one, being afraid of the imaginary things in your head. That way, I think I’ll be able to gain a clearer view of what I should be doing to move forward.
I actually think this book is a worthy read and investment (it’s $10). It’s short enough so you can reread it whenever you think you need to go back to the basics. I’m going to place this somewhere visible on my desk so I could always be reminded of the lessons I gained from it.
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