Who Moved My Cheese by Dr. Spencer Johnson is just a 92 page book but one that comes packed with good information for people who find themselves or their organization in a rapidly changing environment.
The only constant in life is change. Expect change and not only can you survive it but thrive in it.
cheese being a metaphor for what we want to have in life
. . .
The “Maze” . . . where you spend time . . . the organization you work in, the community you live in, or relationships you have in your life.
p. 14
The More Important Your Cheese Is To You The More You Want To Hold On To It.
p. 36
They didn’t think of anything else but finding New Cheese.
p. 39
the image of himself finding and enjoying the New Cheese
p. 40
He painted a picture in his mind. [ … ] with a smile on his face
p. 44
Then he used his imagination to paint the most believable picture he could – with the most realistic details – of him finding and enjoying the taste of New Cheese.
p. 44
What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid?
p. 48
“Better late than never.”
p. 49
He was taking control, rather then simply letting things happen to him.
p. 50
Smell The Cheese Often So You Know When It Is Getting Old
p. 52
What would I do if I weren’t afraid?
. . .
He wasn’t always sure what he was afraid of
. . .
he was still weighed down by fearful beliefs
p. 53
when he had felt his best in the Maze. It was when he was moving along
p. 53
Movement In A New Direction Helps You Find New Cheese.
p. 54
So he did what he would do if he weren’t afraid. He moved in a new direction.
. . .
he was discovering what nourished his soul.
. . .
letting go and trusting what lay ahead for him
p. 55
“Why do I feel so good?”
“I don’t have any Cheese and I don’t know where I am going.”
p. 55
When You Stop Being Afraid, You Feel Good!
p. 56
he had been held captive by his own fear. Moving in a new direction had freed him.
p. 57
paint a picture in his mind . . . in great realistic detail
. . .
The more clearly he saw the image . . . the more real and believable it became.
p. 57
Imagining Yourself Enjoying Your New Cheese Leads You To It.
p. 58 Imagination and Vizualization
thinking about what he could gain instead of what he was losing
p. 59
He was happy when he wasn’t being run by his fear.
. . .
not letting his fear stop him
p. 61
what you are afraid of is never as bad as what you imagine.
p. 63
Now he realized it was natural for change to continually occur, whether you expect it nor not. Change could surprise you only if you didn’t expect it and weren’t looking for it.
p. 63
when you change what you believe, you change what you do.
p. 65
He envisioned himself – in realistic detail – finding something better – much better.
. . .
He reflected
p. 71
nothing gets better until you change
p. 72
most of his fears were irrational
. . .
the change had turned out to be a blessing in disguise
p. 72
What would you do if you weren’t afraid?
p. 81
the “Cheese” has a life of its own and eventually runs out
p. 82
we had every one of the four characters in our organization
. . .
Our Sniffs could sniff out changes in the marketplace, so they helped us update our corporate vision. They were encouraged to identify how the changes could result in new products and services our customers would want. The Sniffs loved it and told us they enjoyed working in a place that recognized change and adapted in time.
Our Scurrys liked to get things done, so they were encouraged to take actions, based on the new corporate vision. They just needed to be monitored so they didn’t scurry off in the wrong direction. They were then rewarded for actions that brought us New Cheese. They liked working in a company that valued action and results.
p. 85
paint a picture in his mind
p. 87
there was New Cheese out there just waiting to be found!
. . .
holding a picture of New Cheese in their minds
p. 92
an organization can only change when enough people in it change.
p. 94
