Who Moved My Cheese?
Here’s a little comic relief for this Monday morning! It’s a prime example of Misunderstanding (and Miscommunication) 101.
How do I know? Because this situation happened first-hand to me, several years ago…
The context of this sticky note has nothing to do with a question that I was asking to someone else. It was a personal reminder that I was leaving to myself so that I would remember to bring this great book (“Who Moved My Cheese”) to work for a colleague. However, our office’s cleaning crew thought that this was a message intended for them!
How many times have you ever made assumptions and gotten defensive before truly understanding the situation?
In cases such as these, it’s best to step back and get curious to understand the perspective before jumping to conclusions. Otherwise, we leave ourselves open to live our lives in defense, even when we don’t need to be.
Dr. Spencer Johnson, author of Who Moved My Cheese, tells us that “What you are afraid of is never as bad as what you imagine. The fear you let build up in your mind is worse than the situation that actually exists.”
If you have never read this book, it’s one you might want to invest in. Dr. Johnson published this motivational business fable on September 8, 1998. It’s as relevant today as it was 21+ years ago. As Wikipedia defines: the book features four characters: two mice, “Sniff” and “Scurry,” and two Littlepeople, human metaphor, “Hem” and “Haw.” (The names of the Littlepeople are taken from the phrase “hem and haw,” a term for indecisiveness.) They live in a maze, a representation of one”s environment, and look for cheese, representative of happiness and success.
There are many lessons to be derived from this short, easy-to-read book. The underlying message, however, is that change happens; it’s a fact of life. You either become malleable and adapt to the shifts, or you turn bitter and rigid which will limit your abilities (especially your clarity of thought) to evolve to your destiny.
Like every individual reaction in life, this is a choice. Which do you choose?
Personally, I choose to rise to the occasion. This is not always easy; and my inner voice wants to discourage this at times. However, I trust and surrender to the path presented in front of me, as it leads to the next chapter of growth and expansion.
What areas of evolution are in store for you in 2020? I’d love to hear from you; please contact me at dlandry@authentizity.com.