Change

Many people are affected by it. Many people spend sleepless nights over it. There are different changes in life. Change of bosses at work, change of teachers in school, change of economic environment.

Some people embrace it. Many people despise it.

I am sure at some point you would have stopped to think why there are so many changes. Why is this happening to me? I wish things where like the good old days. So how do we handle it? How do we address it?

I would like to share with you an experience I faced when I was travelling in a bus during a weekend to Penang. Normally, just to kill time, I like to listen to motivational audio tapes.

That particular day, I was listening to this tale from an author of the book “Who moved my cheese”. For those who don’t know, it’s a book relating to how to deal with change.

I found it very interesting and many points from that book changed some perceptions of mine. So I feel this is good to share them with you all.

WHAT
So what is this story about?

There are 4 characters. 2 are mice and two are little men-Hem and Haw. They all live in maze and live on cheese. Each character has its own characteristics. Well, cheese is a metaphor for our career, life, interests…etc.

Their daily job is to search for cheese in the maze. This involves running around in the maze and locates the cheese to survive. Now this task goes on day after day.

Apparently one day the group stumbles on a area in the maze having a huge reserve of cheese. They are all very happy.

The little men think they have arrived and became complacent. They decide to settle in that area of the maze. While the mice continue to be alert the human become complacent that they already accomplished what it takes and decided to settle down. As time goes by, supply dwindles and one day the cheese is no more. Hem is very angry. “Why is this happening to me? I don’t deserve this!” he shouted.

Does this sound familiar? While Hem is arguing with Haw, the mice look at the situation of no cheese, realize its change, take the running gear off their necks and start to search for new cheese.

They didn’t over-analyze things. They were prepared.

After a few days of starving, Haw - the little person, has a change in mind. He laughs at himself for his folly. He feels helpless but realizes that sitting there fuming over what happened is not going to solve the problem.

He decides to move on and find new cheese. He is scared because he has not done it in a long time. Hem tries to persuade him with ‘what if there is no cheese out there?’…etc.

Haw does not want to listen to him. He decides to start searching for cheese with the end picture in mind.

Initially it’s not a good feeling running into the dark corridors coming out from the comfort zone. But as time progresses, he begins to love what he is doing. He begins to believe in himself. Ultimately, he finds his cheese.

WHY
Why is this tale being told? How significant is to me? There are times in life when everything goes smoothly, we are complacent and we don’t want to take risks anymore. And suddenly changes happen. And most of the people are helpless.

HOW
What could be done? I really felt that one should act like what Haw did- to move on with clear picture of the end result in mind, which is cheese :) He laughed at his own folly of not acting earlier and started to find new cheese.

You will be surprised what the mind can churn up when it’s charged or instructed accordingly.

We need to look at things positively and act swiftly without over-analyzing things.

As what Haw did in the story, by letting go and beginning to search for new cheese, he trusted what lay ahead and started to feel good again. Ultimately he found new cheese.

The same happened to me at work. I feel better again and people tend to notice too.

Many a times it’s the fear that holds people back. As Haw found the new reserve of better quality cheese, he wrote on the wall this quote, “When you move beyond fear, you become free and happy”.

GKing