Summary
📖 Introduction – Parts of All of Us
Mini-story Recap:
We meet four characters—Sniff, Scurry (mice), and Hem, Haw (little people)—living in a maze, searching daily for “Cheese” (a metaphor for success, happiness, love, health, or security). These characters represent parts within us.
🧠 Key Insight:
Each of us has different reactions to change: we might anticipate it (Sniff), act on it (Scurry), deny it (Hem), or learn and adapt (Haw).
✅ Instructions:
- Identify which character you’re acting like in a current change.
- Understand your emotional response to change.
🔑 Action Points:
- Ask: “Who am I being—Sniff, Scurry, Hem, or Haw?”
- Journal your typical reactions to change in life or work.
📖 Chapter 1 – A Gathering (Chicago)
Mini-story Recap:
Old school friends reconnect and talk about life changes. Michael shares how a simple story about cheese changed his way of dealing with change.
🧠 Key Insight:
Sometimes, we need to revisit what we already “know” with fresh eyes. Simple stories can hold profound truths.
✅ Instructions:
- Don’t dismiss simplicity—it can be powerful.
- Listen to others’ experiences with openness.
🔑 Action Points:
- Reflect on a time you resisted change and what it cost you.
- Be open to learning from even the simplest source.
📖 Chapter 2 – Who Moved My Cheese? (The Story)
Part 1: The Four Characters
Mini-story Recap:
Sniff and Scurry use instinct and agility. Hem and Haw use intellect and emotions. All search the maze for cheese daily.
🧠 Key Insight:
Life demands different parts of ourselves—instinct, logic, or emotional resilience—to cope with change.
✅ Instructions:
- Recognize which part of your personality is showing up.
- Balance emotional reaction with action.
🔑 Action Points:
- Make a mental note: “Be aware of your inner Hem or Haw.”
- Practice decision-making using both logic and feeling.
Part 2: Finding Cheese & Getting Comfortable
Mini-story Recap:
All characters find Cheese at Station C. The mice remain alert. Hem and Haw grow arrogant, assume it’ll never run out.
🧠 Key Insight:
Success often breeds complacency. If you’re not alert, you’ll miss the signs of change.
✅ Instructions:
- Stay observant even when things seem stable.
- Don’t get too comfortable.
🔑 Action Points:
- Regularly review your goals and environment.
- Ask: “Is my current ‘cheese’ still fresh?”
Part 3: The Cheese is Gone
Mini-story Recap:
One day, the cheese disappears. The mice adapt instantly and move on. Hem and Haw panic and stay stuck.
🧠 Key Insight:
Change doesn’t wait for your permission. Resisting it only deepens your discomfort.
✅ Instructions:
- Don’t blame others. Take responsibility.
- Accept change has already happened.
🔑 Action Points:
- Stop asking “Who moved my cheese?”
- Start asking, “What’s my next move?”
Part 4: Haw’s Awakening
Mini-story Recap:
After denial and fear, Haw slowly realizes he must venture into the unknown. He writes lessons on the walls as he explores the maze.
🧠 Key Insight:
Action dissolves fear. Imagination of a better outcome builds courage.
✅ Instructions:
- Visualize success before taking the leap.
- Take small steps forward to build confidence.
🔑 Action Points:
- Draw your “New Cheese” in vivid detail.
- Create a mantra like: “What would I do if I weren’t afraid?”
Part 5: Finding New Cheese
Mini-story Recap:
Haw finds crumbs, then finally reaches a massive supply of New Cheese. He sees Sniff and Scurry already there. He realizes change led him to growth.
🧠 Key Insight:
Success often waits just beyond your fear. But you have to move to find it.
✅ Instructions:
- Learn from past mistakes.
- Enjoy the journey, not just the reward.
🔑 Action Points:
- Set up systems to track early signs of change.
- Celebrate even small wins on the way to bigger change.
📖 Chapter 3 – A Discussion: Later That Same Day
Mini-story Recap:
The friends reflect on who they were in the story. They realize how often they’ve resisted change and how this story gives them a language to talk about it.
🧠 Key Insight:
Stories build shared understanding. Talking about change openly helps everyone adapt.
✅ Instructions:
- Use storytelling to discuss change at work/home.
- Recognize your fears and laugh at them.
🔑 Action Points:
- Share this story with your team or family.
- Ask: “What’s our Old Cheese? What’s our New Cheese?”
🧠 Final Summary – The Handwriting on the Wall
Here are the key lessons Haw wrote along the way:
- Change Happens – They keep moving the cheese.
- Anticipate Change – Get ready for the cheese to move.
- Monitor Change – Smell the cheese often so you know when it’s getting old.
- Adapt to Change Quickly – The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you can enjoy new cheese.
- Change – Move with the cheese.
- Enjoy Change! – Savor the adventure and enjoy the taste of new cheese!
- Be Ready to Change Quickly Again and Again – They keep moving the cheese.
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