Expand Your Possibilities with Change

“Change is the only constant in life.” – Heraclitus

How Do You Respond to Change?

When faced with change, how do you react?  Do you embrace it with open arms, or do you find yourself resisting it, wishing things could stay the same?  Do you try to ignore it, hoping it will go away, or do you gradually adapt and seek out the new possibilities that change brings? 

In Who Moved My Cheese? Spencer Johnson presents a simple yet powerful metaphor about how different individuals react to change.  The story follows four characters – two mice and two tiny humans – living in a maze.  Their happiness depends on finding and consuming cheese, which represents success, security, and contentment.  Each character responds in different ways when their cheese supply disappears one day.

Here’s how each character responds to this change:

• Sniff (mouse): Sniff had been paying attention all along.  He wasn’t caught off guard when the cheese disappeared because he had noticed it slowly dwindling.  When the time came, he was ready to adapt and start searching for new cheese.

• Scurry (mouse): Scurry was always on the move, constantly seeking new cheese by trial and error.  The loss of cheese didn’t faze him – he was already exploring for new cheese.

• Hem (tiny person): Hem resisted change entirely.  He refused to leave the spot where the cheese had once been, stubbornly waiting for it to return.  He held on to the past and missed out on new cheese. 

• Haw (tiny person): Like Hem, Haw initially resisted.  But over time, he realized the futility in waiting for things to go back to the way they were.  He accepted the need to adapt and eventually ventured out to find new cheese.

7 Lessons About Change

From this fable, we can learn several lessons about change:

1.      Change Happens.

Things won’t stay where they are. Change is inevitable.

2.      Anticipate Change.

Pay attention to shifts in your environment so that you won’t be taken by surprise when change occurs.

3.      Adapt Quickly.

The sooner you let go of what no longer serves you, the faster you can welcome new opportunities and move forward.

4.      Change Can Lead to Growth.

Stepping into the unknown can be daunting, but it often opens the door to new and better possibilities that would otherwise remain undiscovered.

5.      Overcome Fear.

Often, it’s the fear of change rather than the fear itself that holds us back.  Once you confront that fear, you’ll find that change isn’t as scary as it seems.

6.      Enjoy the Journey.

Change isn’t something just to get through – it can be an adventure.  Savor the process of exploring the unknown.

7.      Keep Moving Forward.

Even if you don’t have all the answers, taking action and moving forward will eventually lead you to where you need to be.

By embracing change, you open yourself up to a world of new possibilities.  So next time life moves your cheese, take a deep breath and say to yourself, “Let’s explore for new cheese!”