change is not a circumstance all are willing to accept. The time people found their comfort zone, change is unacceptable. But change is inevitable. Change is the consequence of time. In the book “Who Moved my Cheese”, the author Spencer Johnson, dig into the concept of change through a parable.

Thousands have been read by people and couldn't help themselves but find themselves in one of the characters. Four characters describe the reaction to change: two mice Sniff and Scurry, and two little people Hem and Haw. These four characters lived in a maze which is a representation of the the environment.

One day both groups found a cheese in one of the spaces in the maze, Cheese Station C. Sniff and Scurry acknowledged the fact the cheese in time will be gone. However, Hem and Haw, contented with what they have found has found comfort on one cheese that when it disappeared, they were frustrated. Haughty they are, they kept waiting for the cheese to come about until haw decided to leave Hem and go look for another station.

Hem still blinded and arrogant refused to go with haw and find a new cheese. Haw on the other hand took courage and made his way through the dark maze. Though in fear, he managed to explore the maze leaving trails of writing for his friend Hem. As he explored the maze, new insights were presented to Haw:

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 Is 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 And Enjoy It Again & Again
They Keep Moving The Cheese.

After the long search, he found himself in Station N, a new cheese was right in front of him. Afraid of complacency, Hem goes on exploring the maze even when there is cheese in Station N.

Many criticized the book for its simplicity in its interpretation about change and about the goals we have in life. But then again, is it not in the simplicity of things that we find the greater truth. The cheese maybe a representation of any of man's desires and perhaps not only that what is tangible. What the parable simply discusses to its readers is not the issue on change and dealing with change but also the drive of each person to explore the mazes to find a cheese.

The cheese can be a representation of what's more than a materials fulfillment, but the exploration of finding the cheese and stepping out from the comfort realizing that more the the questions of why or how the journey finding the cheese is a greater achievement. It is when we accept change and trying to make something out of it that finding another cheese takes a meaning of its own.

“The strengths of Who Moved my Cheese? lie in its simple, yet effective portrayal of four characters' journey in search of cheese, and their subsequent behavioral reactions and solutions when they meet with unexpected change. I agree with the author that developing a more flexible attitude towards change will enable people to adjust more easily to their situations, relationships, and goals. By accepting that change is inevitable and that we do have a choice in how we are going to respond, we will be less likely to get bogged down in a self-defeating pattern. Instead, we will be more open to finding alternatives for our present challenge and create the space for finding the satisfaction and success we long for.”-- Karen Williams