This week we talked about change.
We were tasked with reading Who Moved My Cheese by Dr. Spencer Johnson. I had never heard of this short story before, but I really enjoyed the message from it.
The story describes two small people, Hem and Haw, and two mice, Sniff and Scurry, who live in a maze. Everyday, they put on their running shoes and set off into the maze in search of cheese. Each of them have a different idea of what the cheese represents to them. It could be wealth or material things, or it could be having good health, or it could be finding love and having a family.
One day they find a whole bunch of cheese. The little people believe the cheese will always be there, and settle in to enjoy it. They put aside their running shoes and make themselves comfortable. The mice still come to the station and sniff and scratch and scurry around the cheese station, looking to see if there are any changes from the day before.
One day, when they get to the cheese station, there is nothing there. The mice, Sniff and Scurry, weren't surprised, because they had noticed that the cheese supply was getting smaller, and were prepared for it. They put their running shoes on an set off.
The little people, Hem and Haw, were unprepared. They hadn't noticed the dwindling cheese supply and they took it for granted that their cheese would always be there. Hem was very upset, "who moved my cheese?" he shouted. Hem insisted that if they just waited, someone would have to put the cheese back eventually.
Within a few days, Haw begins to realize that they need to change and do things differently, but Hem continues to resist the change. Haw starts to imagine himself going out and finding new cheese, and finally makes the decision to go out in search of new cheese. He writes on the wall:
"If you do not change, you can become extinct."
As Haw runs through the maze in search of new cheese, he continues to write on the walls, partially to encourage himself, but also in the hopes that Hem will be inspired by the writings on the wall and follow him.
"What would you do if you weren't afraid?"
"Movement in a new direction helps you find new cheese."
"When you stop being afraid, you feel good!"
"Imagining yourself enjoying your new cheese leads you to it."
"The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find new cheese."
XXXXX
I think that there are a lot of important lessons to be found in this story. I didn't mention all of them, but I really liked everything in the story.
Change is hard. Change is scary. You might fear change, or you might fear failing. In know I do. But it's important to know that "if you do not change, you can become extinct." You can't move forward without change. One way that I would like to apply these lessons in my life are to make sure I am "smelling the cheese often so you know when it is getting old." I'm not always the best at being aware of how my life is changing and when big changes are coming. I think I tend to live more in that moment, like Hem and Haw, without always looking at the future like Sniff and Scurry.
I think this week was a really great personal reflection for me. I've recently gone through some really big changes in my life, what with graduating nursing school and starting a new job. It was interesting for me to evaluate myself with this story in mind. In some ways, moving into these new changes recently was something I looked forward to, like Sniff and Scurry. But it also makes sense that I would have looked forward to these changes. For me, my cheese was to graduate nursing school and start working as a nurse. Now, I'm looking for my new cheese. I'm looking for a new goal and finding what else I want to accomplish and what is important to me. Right now, it's graduating with my Bachelors degree. But someday I also want to start a family of my own.
We were tasked with reading Who Moved My Cheese by Dr. Spencer Johnson. I had never heard of this short story before, but I really enjoyed the message from it.
The story describes two small people, Hem and Haw, and two mice, Sniff and Scurry, who live in a maze. Everyday, they put on their running shoes and set off into the maze in search of cheese. Each of them have a different idea of what the cheese represents to them. It could be wealth or material things, or it could be having good health, or it could be finding love and having a family.
One day they find a whole bunch of cheese. The little people believe the cheese will always be there, and settle in to enjoy it. They put aside their running shoes and make themselves comfortable. The mice still come to the station and sniff and scratch and scurry around the cheese station, looking to see if there are any changes from the day before.
One day, when they get to the cheese station, there is nothing there. The mice, Sniff and Scurry, weren't surprised, because they had noticed that the cheese supply was getting smaller, and were prepared for it. They put their running shoes on an set off.
The little people, Hem and Haw, were unprepared. They hadn't noticed the dwindling cheese supply and they took it for granted that their cheese would always be there. Hem was very upset, "who moved my cheese?" he shouted. Hem insisted that if they just waited, someone would have to put the cheese back eventually.
Within a few days, Haw begins to realize that they need to change and do things differently, but Hem continues to resist the change. Haw starts to imagine himself going out and finding new cheese, and finally makes the decision to go out in search of new cheese. He writes on the wall:
"If you do not change, you can become extinct."
As Haw runs through the maze in search of new cheese, he continues to write on the walls, partially to encourage himself, but also in the hopes that Hem will be inspired by the writings on the wall and follow him.
"What would you do if you weren't afraid?"
"Movement in a new direction helps you find new cheese."
"When you stop being afraid, you feel good!"
"Imagining yourself enjoying your new cheese leads you to it."
"The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find new cheese."
I think that there are a lot of important lessons to be found in this story. I didn't mention all of them, but I really liked everything in the story.
Change is hard. Change is scary. You might fear change, or you might fear failing. In know I do. But it's important to know that "if you do not change, you can become extinct." You can't move forward without change. One way that I would like to apply these lessons in my life are to make sure I am "smelling the cheese often so you know when it is getting old." I'm not always the best at being aware of how my life is changing and when big changes are coming. I think I tend to live more in that moment, like Hem and Haw, without always looking at the future like Sniff and Scurry.
I think this week was a really great personal reflection for me. I've recently gone through some really big changes in my life, what with graduating nursing school and starting a new job. It was interesting for me to evaluate myself with this story in mind. In some ways, moving into these new changes recently was something I looked forward to, like Sniff and Scurry. But it also makes sense that I would have looked forward to these changes. For me, my cheese was to graduate nursing school and start working as a nurse. Now, I'm looking for my new cheese. I'm looking for a new goal and finding what else I want to accomplish and what is important to me. Right now, it's graduating with my Bachelors degree. But someday I also want to start a family of my own.
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