Who Moved my Cheese?- An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life is the topic of a book written by Spencer Johnson, M.D., and published by Vermilion Publishers. In the book, cheese is a metaphorical representation of what people want to have in their life. This might mean a good job, an affectionate relationship, wealth or ownership, good health or even spiritual tranquility.
The title therefore suggests that occasionally the “cheese” in our life will be moved and therefore one has to be prepared to deal with the change. As the topic suggests, Dr Spencer Johnson provides an “amazing way” to deal with this change in the workplace and in our lives. Spencer does this by showing us how to foresee change, adapt to the change, enjoy it and be forever willing to change immediately when one is called to do so. (Hartwell, 2010)
The story of Who Moved My Cheese starts with a reunion of high school friends. After the reunion, the friends decide to have lunch and they end up chatting in an exceptionally practical manner about the things they have undergone since they left high school. Although they have all lived different lives, they all agree that things turned out differently than they anticipated.
All of them agree that it has been hard for them to change when things change around them. One of the friends named Carlos tells the group that people resist change because they are afraid of changes in their life. This surprises everyone since Carlos was the Captain of the football team and therefore fear should not have been a part of his life. (Hartwell, 2010)
While in the process of catching up, one of the friends called Michael decides to narrate the story of Who Moved My Cheese to the rest of the group. The story consists of four characters comprising of two mice named Sniff and Scurry and two small beings called “Haw” and “Hem”. All these characters live in a maze where they spend their time searching for cheese to sustain them. Both the mice and the little people value the cheese since it means everything to them.