I’m sure most of you have already read Who Moved My Cheese?, likely while you were in high school or college. But, this now-famous parable on dealing with change is well worth a revisit.
The concept is simple: Change is inevitable and if you grow too comfortable or entitled to the wealth in your life, whether financial or otherwise, you can easily overlook the signs of coming change and struggle to adapt once it arrives.
We have all witnessed and fallen prey to resistance. Change is often associated with discomfort or loss. However, as this little parable of Hem and Haw illustrates, change results in loss only when we resist it.
I might be making a few assumptions, but those of you who read blogs such as this are likely a bit more enamored with change. We tend to trigger change rather than wait for it. In fact, the point of this blog is that we can enjoy the best cheese out there by walking away from already decent cheese. We seek out Gruyere direct from Switzerland, leaving behind seran-wrapped mild cheddar.
Despite our willingness to risk our generic swiss, the parable of Who Moved My Cheese? can keep us from running back to cheddar while we are maneuvering the dark maze searching for something better.
There are two key lessons that I found impactful during the in-between:
1. The maze is fun. Appreciate the new places and skills you are learning on your journey to new cheese. Discovering new sections of the maze keeps you young, energetic, and excited (given the right attitude).
2. Enjoy the morsels of new cheese you find along the way. Regardless of how long you are in the maze, if you work hard and stay open to opportunity, you will find enough cheese along the way to keep you going. Little morsels of goat cheese, brie, and roquefort are delicious tastes of what is to come.
In the eight months since leaving my comfortable salaried position, I have learned the basics of website development, blogging best practices, graphic design, startup pitches, and desktop publishing, among many other odd skills I never thought I would develop. I have also been mentored by the best in networking and relationship development, sales, and business consulting. Finally, and the two most surprising, I now know the ins and outs of day spas and angel investing. The maze is full of surprises!
The experiences you gain while you are searching for new cheese can be exciting, challenging, and rewarding opportunities that eventually lead to the best cheese you could imagine, with tasty tidbits to munch on along the way.
Giveaway! Enter to win Who Moved My Cheese? in two easy steps:
1) Become an email subscriber if you aren’t already. You can subscribe here.
2) What morsel of tasty cheese have you encountered while in transition to something new? Share your thoughts on this post.
The subscriber with the most cheesy comment by the end of the day Monday will receive a brand new copy of Who Moved My Cheese!
MST. Contest is limited to addresses in the United States, including APO/FPO addresses with US Zip Codes. [post_ender]
I have always loved Who Moved My Cheese! One of the first parables I read in school and it is still the best. I am “in transition” currently working to establish a franchise and I have met the most amazing people in the process. In particular, when I first started down this path two years ago I met another franchise owner locally and she has become my best friend. I just threw her baby shower and there are too many blessings she has brought into my life to list! Thank heavens for the twists and turns of the maze, the dark alleys let you appreciate the light and they can always lead to life changing, positive experiences.
How fun! You never know what treasure is hiding under the stumbling rock. Thanks, Diana!
Diana, a new copy of Who Moved My Cheese! is headed to you! Thanks for your comment!