Once long ago in a far-away land, there were four characters in a maze looking for cheese to
nourish them and make them happy.
Two were mince named Sniff and Scurry.
Two were little people named Hem and Haw.
The mice had simple brains but good instincts, utilizing trial and error. Sniff would smell the
direction of the cheese and Scurry would race ahead. This would often lead them to the
wrong direction and bump into walls.
The little people utilized their brains to learn from past experience and use sophisticated
methods of finding cheese. However they would often be clouded by beliefs and emotions,
which made their time at the maze more complicated and challenging.
One day they all discovered a supply of cheese at Cheese Station C.
While the mice left early and hung their running shoes around their neck when they were at
the station. The little people woke up later and put them away, thinking they didn’t need it
anymore.
They became so comfortable; they didn’t notice the dwindling supply of cheese. The mice
however took notice and when the cheese station was emptied, they changed according to the
situation and left in search of new cheese.
When the little people noticed there was no more cheese, they became angry, thinking
someone moved them. They spent days coming back to the station thinking it would be
moved back, but it didn’t.
The mice continued to venture into the maze until they found a great supply of new cheese at
Cheese Station N.
The little people continued to grow weaker from hunger and stress. Haw finally gets fed up of
waiting and decides to run into the maze to find new cheese. Hem refuses and insists on
waiting until the old cheese gets put back.
Despite being afraid at first, Haw ventured on into the maze despite being weak from hunger.
As he continued into the maze, he found bits of cheese, but they were not enough. The maze
proved to be more challenging but Haw continued on. He would often write sayings on the
walls about change and new cheese.
He found two empty cheese stations but the latter had some new cheese which he ate and
pocketed some to take to Hem back at Cheese Station C. Hem however, refused the new
cheese and insisted on his old cheese, not wanting to leave until he got it back.
Disappointed, Haw left and continued into the maze. He ran with excitement, no longer afraid
and having new beliefs on change. He kept finding bits of new cheese, which restored hos
strength, and he continued to write on the walls in hopes that Hem would find them if he got
out.
Haw eventually found Cheese station N, and after noticing the mice, realized it wasn’t a
dream. He contemplated bringing Hem here, but realized that he had to find his own way. On
the wall he wrote;
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. They Keep Moving the Cheese.
To avoid slipping up to old habits, Haw would inspect the condition of the cheese everyday
and would explore new areas of the maze. He believed that it was safer to be aware of his real
choices than to isolate himself in his comfort zone.
One day, he heard movement outside of the maze. As the noise grew louder, Haw hoped that
it was his friend Hem, who would finally be able to have new cheese and be happy.
The writings on the walls
Having cheese makes you happy.
Takeaways
There’s a difference between activity and productivity.
Getting out of your comfort zone makes adapting to change easier.
Fear that you let build up in your mind is far worse than the situation that
exists.
When you change what you believe, you change what you do.
The fastest way to change is to laugh at your own folly—then you can let go and
quickly move on.
You have to find your own way, beyond your comforts and past your fears. No one
else can do it for you, or talk you into it. You have to see the advantage of changing
yourself.
It’s safer to be aware of your real choices than to isolate yourself in your comfort
zone.
The mice hung their running shoes on their necks in anticipation of change using their
instincts. Once the situation changes, they adapt and move from the old to the new.
They did not overanalyze the cheese predicament like the little people since they
noted the signs of changes before the cheese disappeared.
Hem preferred the status quo, and believed he was entitled to the old cheese and any
new one could not compare to it, even if it came at the cost of his body. He also
feared that travelling into the maze may worsen things.
It is unknown if the noise heard by Haw at the end of the story was Hem or somebody
else. An optimistic approach would be that it was Hem who let go of the status quo
and used Haw’s wall writings to navigate the maze and reunite with his old friend.
