Introduction
Have been hearing about this book now and then, but never actually got familiar with the topic. I had no expectations and was pleasantly surprised.
The story is about cheese and four characters. Two mice - Sniff and Scurry and two Litllepeople Hem and Haw. Cheese represents what we want in life. It can be material things, such as expensive cars, a big house or a relationship, freedom, health recognition, spiritual peace, and so on. Almost all of us spend time in our lives chasing our own cheese. Soon or later we find it. But what will happen if somebody moves our cheese?
The book is filled with a big amount of metaphors that could hypothetically serve as lessons for us. I think every person finds something different in this book. Hereafter I will describe what resonated with me the most.
The thin border between confidence and arrogance of success
Eventually, when you find your cheese you can get very comfortable. You don't think your cheese could disappear as you are entitled to it! But the change is the only one constant in our lives nowadays. We live in those times when everything changes faster than ever before. You can either accept this fact or get stuck in one place and shout out that it is your right to not change and have your cheese all the time.
"If you don't change, you can become extinct"
Let's find a new cheese!
So if you finally realize that you have to move and nobody gives you your cheese back you can feel a little overwhelmed with where to go and how to find cheese in this complex maze. Didn't you bite more than you can chew? Jokes on you, you have nothing to chew.
You will feel uncomfortable but it's still better than the situation in which you had been before -it's safer to search in the maze than remain in a cheeseless situation!
"Smell the cheese often so you know when it's getting old"
"The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find a new cheese"
Littlepeople without humor
Well, it's easy to hem and haw all the time, but isn't this too tiring? Let's try to think more of what can go right instead of what can go wrong. Also, change is natural, embrace it, expect it, look for it. By the way, noticing little changes help you adapt to the bigger ones that are about to come.
And the magic cure? Laugh. To laugh at our own folly (of being too scared of change) is a springboard for finding new cheese.
Move with the cheese and enjoy it!
Congratulations! You found your cheese. Finding the way to your new cheese in the maze could have been very difficult so don't get caught in the same cage. Explore the area. Be aware of real choices and possible changes rather than isolate yourself in your comfort zone. Or just do it by yourself! Move with the cheese.
Conclusion
This book I've read in a couple of hours. I love the simplicity. I took many breaks from reading and write down to my journal some realizations that I made based on this story. It was different kinds of stuff from my personal life to business or reflections to our team - Teamly e. g. "the change imposed is a change opposed."
