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Who Moved My Cheese Story That Every Entrepreneur Should Know!
November 3, 2017
If you are a true entrepreneur at heart, then you have a constant hunger for education. Learning is part of the thrill and the hunt for being a true blooded entrepreneur. We just never can learn enough, and we always know that the next class and the next book, will bring us even more knowledge and motivation to help us on our journey.
We all know that Oprah Winfrey has her “Book Club” that features Oprah’s favorite books. Well,
Tracy is an avid reader as well and she also has a list of her favorite books. Among the many books on Tracy’s list is also one of my favorites: “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Spencer Johnson, MD.
This book was written in 1998 and has been published in 37 languages and has sold 26 million copies, world wide. It has become a motivational classic tale that easily is one of the top books handed out by CEO’s at many Fortune 500 companies to their management.
Who Moved My Cheese? Introduces us to 4 characters: 2 are lovable mice, with simple minds, “Sniff” and “Scurry”. Next, there are 2 little people, with complicated minds, “Hem” and “Haw”.
Each one has its’s own personality and traits and you will quickly find yourself, comparing each of the 4 little characters to yourself, your significant other, your kids, co-workers, friends, etc.
All 4 of these characters live in a maze which is supposed to represent our world/environment. They all have a mission to find the “cheese”. The “cheese” represents what is important to us. Our homes, our jobs, our goals,etc.
The 2 mice and the 2 little people, team up and head off, looking for the elusive “cheese”. They have to head down long paths looking for the cheese.
Sniff is the one who investigates and systematically hunts for any sign for of the cheese. Scurry waits for instructions from Sniff and then will scamper off in a hurry, to hopefully, find the cheese. They wear their little running shoes as they continue on their journey. They finally locate “Cheese Station C”. Sniff and Scurry now start munching on the pile of cheese.
Next, we have Hem and Haw. Hem doesn’t like change and is afraid of what lies beyond the next corner. He comes up with every reason why they shouldn’t go any further. Haw, on the other hand, is also afraid, but knows that they have to find the cheese or they will starve. So Haw, cautiously goes down each corridor, looking for signs of the cheese. Eventually they find the Cheese Station C.
They find their favorite cheese and start munching away.
Each day, all 4 arrive for their fill of the delicious cheeses. Sniff and Scurry arrive early, inspect and measure their cheese and take off their shoes but tie them together and wear them around their necks so that if they have to leave again, they have their shoes ready.
Meanwhile Hem and Haw are arriving later and later each day. They know the cheese will be there and so why hurry? They quickly strip off their track suits and shoes and start munching. They even start to decorate the Cheese Station since they are so comfortable.
One day the 2 mice arrive and the cheese is all gone. They are not surprised. They have been paying attention to the dwindling supply so they put on their shoes and off they go. Looking for a new supply. Later on, Hem and Haw roll in. They are shocked when they find no cheese. Hem is angry and demands to know “WHO MOVED MY CHEESE?” Hem says he will get to the bottom of this. In his mind, he is a victim. Haw is nervous about having to go back out and look for more, but Hem is having no part of that. He is staying there and going to dig for the cheese.They both blame each other for this situation they are in.
Meanwhile, Sniff and Scurry have already located their new stock pile of cheese It is located in Cheese Station N. It is bigger and better than the last supply.
Days pass and Hem is still angry and chiseling at the walls, looking for the hidden cheese. He is entitled to his cheese! Haw tries in vane to convince Hem to leave with him and hunt for new cheese but Hem is having no part of that. Haw starts to laugh at himself, knowing how ridiculous he is being by staying there waiting for cheese to come back. So he decides to head out into the maze alone. Before he leaves, he writes on the wall: “If You Do Not Change, You Can Become Extinct”.
Haw is still afraid of the journey so he writes on another wall: ” What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid?” As he goes along the corridors alone, he wonders if he should just go back? But as be is traveling, he realizes that the cheese didn’t just disappear. It had dwindled down from them eating it and not paying attention to the supply.
As he is moving along, he finds some new bits of cheese. He eats some and saves a few bits for later. Now he is smiling and feeling better about the journey. He writes on the wall again : “When you move beyond your fear, you feel free.” A little further along, he finds another empty cheese station. Haw decides to head back and share the new cheese bits with Hem.
When he arrives back at Cheese station C, he finds a weak and depressed Hem, still chiseling away, looking for the cheese. Haw offers Hem some of the new found cheese bits but Hem wants no part of the new cheese. He wants his old cheese.
Disappointed, Haw heads out alone again. As he is moving along, he keeps finding bits of new cheese. Haw leaves writings on the wall so that if Hem comes out, he will be able to follow the writings on the wall.
One day Haw stumbles on Cheese Station N. It has a plethora of cheese and a lot of new types of cheese. He realizes it is not a dream as he sees Sniff and Scurry there, eating the new cheeses.
Haw keeps his jogging shoes tied neatly around his neck and notices that Sniff and Scurry look at him with approval at his decision to copy the way they wear their shoes around their necks.
After enjoying a full belly of cheese, Haw writes on the wall : ” They Keep Moving The Cheese”. Now he is cautious from what happened in his past so he inspects his cheese daily and each day heads out to explore the maze for more cheese.
He thinks about his old friend Hem but knows that he left the writings on the wall for him to find his way. Haw starts to munch on his new found variety of cheese and he hears a noise in the corridor. Could it be Hem?
The End! ( Or is it a new beginning?)
I hope that you enjoyed this brief review of this book. Knowing which character you are, and which characters are around you, will help you figure out how to respond to them. Also, I hope we all learned to not become complacent because they will move your cheese! Be ready for it!
Until Next Time,
Janice
EG Team Member
