Earlier this week I posted about finding the new normal. Before the semester started, I knew change was coming, and I began to prepare for it. Some of my friends knew changes were coming for me and that dealing with change has been a struggle for me in the past. All that to say, a friend of mine gave me a book this week. It was on a table of stuff to get rid of at his work, and he thought of me when he realized it was about dealing with change. It has less than 100 pages, so this weekend I was able to finish Who Moved My Cheese? written by Spencer Johnson.
Basically, the book is this story about 2 mice and 2 little people that live in a maze. Everday they get their running shoes on to go find cheese. Eventually, they came across a big block of cheese and went back to it day after day. The little people even moved their houses closer to the block of cheese and began building their lives around it. One day, the block of cheese was no longer there! The 2 mice quickly got on their running shows and went off to find another block of cheese, Sniff looking for new areas to explore and Scurry running ahead in those directions. The little people, Hem and Haw, however, still could not believe that the cheese was gone. They came back day after day hoping it would reappear. Eventually Haw realized he had to change and start looking in other areas for new cheese. He tried to encourage Hem to come with him, but Hem would not move. Haw eventually found the new cheese that Sniff and Scurry had already been enjoying. This cheese was even better than the old cheese!
In the story, Sniff and Scurry had been preparing for change. Sniff had been noticing the cheese supply getting older and becoming smaller. They kept their running shoes close and wasted no time looking for new cheese. Hem and Haw, however, were so disappointed and did not want to believe that their cheese was gone. It took Haw longer to begin to move onto a new way of life. The story does not say what eventually happened to Hem, but my guess is that he never found new cheese and suffered the consequences.
Basically, the book is this story about 2 mice and 2 little people that live in a maze. Everday they get their running shoes on to go find cheese. Eventually, they came across a big block of cheese and went back to it day after day. The little people even moved their houses closer to the block of cheese and began building their lives around it. One day, the block of cheese was no longer there! The 2 mice quickly got on their running shows and went off to find another block of cheese, Sniff looking for new areas to explore and Scurry running ahead in those directions. The little people, Hem and Haw, however, still could not believe that the cheese was gone. They came back day after day hoping it would reappear. Eventually Haw realized he had to change and start looking in other areas for new cheese. He tried to encourage Hem to come with him, but Hem would not move. Haw eventually found the new cheese that Sniff and Scurry had already been enjoying. This cheese was even better than the old cheese!
In the story, Sniff and Scurry had been preparing for change. Sniff had been noticing the cheese supply getting older and becoming smaller. They kept their running shoes close and wasted no time looking for new cheese. Hem and Haw, however, were so disappointed and did not want to believe that their cheese was gone. It took Haw longer to begin to move onto a new way of life. The story does not say what eventually happened to Hem, but my guess is that he never found new cheese and suffered the consequences.
I think that I can relate to Sniff in my most recent dealings with change. I knew change was coming and began to prepare for it, thinking through how things in my life would change with the new semester. Let me share a paragraph from the book (pg. 51). Haw is deciding he wants to be more like Sniff and Scurry in the future:
He decided he would stay more alert from now on. He would expect change to happen and look for it. He would trust his basic instincts to sense when change was going to occur and be ready to adapt to it.
Another quote I like can help in times of change (pg. 60): The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find new cheese.
The same friend that picked up this book for me encouraged me to think of changes as new adventures. This semester has definitely been a set of adventures so far! I'm pleased with how I have decided to deal with change, and I hope to continue to properly prepare for change in the future.
He decided he would stay more alert from now on. He would expect change to happen and look for it. He would trust his basic instincts to sense when change was going to occur and be ready to adapt to it.
Another quote I like can help in times of change (pg. 60): The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find new cheese.
The same friend that picked up this book for me encouraged me to think of changes as new adventures. This semester has definitely been a set of adventures so far! I'm pleased with how I have decided to deal with change, and I hope to continue to properly prepare for change in the future.
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