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Who Moved my Cheese by Spencer Johson - A Gem small and valuable!

Who Moved my Cheese! I have a friend whose husband is also in sells and he has been using what she thinks is an expensive advertising campaign that no longer works. She told me that she had told him that his cheese had moved. I was intrigued by that comment and have wanted to read "Who Moved My Cheese" ever since.

I recently stuck it on an Amazon order; which isn't hard for me to do as I am a huge reader and I am constantly sending in orders. I was amazed when it came at how thin and small the book was. What I found however is that sometimes amazing things come in small packages. On the front cover it says "A GEM - small and valuable and that is what I found it to be.

The story is told in parable form. There are 4 characters, two mice (Sniff & Scurry) and two little people (Hem & Haw) and they are all searching through a maze for cheese. Change happens whether we like it or not and the parable deals with how change is handled. The mice possessed simple brains & good instincts. The little people have more complex brains filled with many beliefs & emotions.

Sniff, sniffs out change easily while Scurry, scurries in to action. Hem Dealing with change in your life - Who moved my cheese! denies or resists change as he fears it may lead to something worse. He has been comfortable in his maze and he doesn't want it to change. The emphasis of the story though is around Haw; who learns to adapt in time when he sees that changing can lead to something better.

When the cheese disappears Sniff and Scurry put on their sneakers and leave in search of more cheese. Hem and Haw on the other hand do just what their name implies they Hem and they Haw. Finally Haw sees the light "We keep doing the same thing over & over again and wonder why things don't get better. If this wasn't so ridiculous, it would be even funnier."

Much of the story is based on Haw's discoveries as he enters in to the maze looking for more cheese. One of his first discoveries was if you do not change you can become extinct. He then contemplates what he would do if her weren't afraid. As he is wondering around the maze he wonders if he has bit off more than he can chew but then it dawns on him he wasn't chewing on anything anyway.

Sometimes we just have to envision our cheese! As he is going along he realizes that you need to smell your cheese often so you know when it is getting old. If you move in a new direction it helps you to find new cheese. The quicker you let go of that old cheese, the quicker you can find that new cheese. Once Haw stops being afraid he feels good. He realizes it is safer to search in the maze than to be in a cheese-less situation. His old beliefs were not leading him to any new cheese. When he envisioned himself enjoying his new cheese it led him to the new cheese. Once he saw that he could find and enjoy new cheese it was easier to change course.

Haw stayed around longer than he should have as he tried to talk Who Moved my Cheese by Spencer Johnson MD Hem in to going out in to the maze with him. Finally he realized that if he kept staying there he was going to starve and he was just going to have to do it himself. Poor Hem never adapts to change; he is probably still there right now.

The cheese in the story could be anything real estate, loving relationships, money, health or even spiritual peace of mind. The maze is where you look for what you want. I could see myself at different times in my life in all 4 different characters.

So now you have had a brief introduction to "Who moved my Cheese" by Spencer Johnson M.D. He is the same person who wrote "The One Minute Manager". I found it to be very inspirational and it really is appropriate for this ever changing real estate market we find ourselves in.

Posted by Marchel Peterson Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro ABR on 04/27/2008 11:56 PM

Comments (39)

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Originally posted at: Results Realty Buzz: Who Moved my Cheese by Spencer Johson - A Gem small and valuable!

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39 Comments on Who Moved my Cheese by Spencer Johson - A Gem small and valuable!

APR

2008

Yes, I have heard of this book and keep meaning to pick it up. I will probably add it to my library.

I've been meaning to read this book too...thanks for the tickler! I LOVE your new pic!

I have read this book multiple times (at least 5) and it actually sits on the corner of my desk right now.... it is a great book for me - every time I read it I see myself in a different situation -

by the way - I love the new photo - very much more like you than some of your previous ones....

I have read that. Very good little book. Very nice work on the post! Great pictures!

I've read the book and have it on CD in my car. It is a great learning lesson and everyone should read it from time to time, to refresh memories. Did you get my email on it being picked up on one of the google alerts I follow.

I have read the book a couple of times. I agree with Missy we should read it from time to time. I wish I had it on CD.

ROSS, I'm not sure why I waited so long to order it. I heard about it months before I finally placed it on an Amazon order.

MARY, Thanks! You will LOVE the book! It is a fun and easy read. My daughter is coming in for the week and I am going to have her read it while she is here. She is in the process of trying to move her cheese right now.

THESA, So do you have any other great books sitting on your desk that I need to know about? I'm always looking for something to read.

CHUCK, I enjoyed finding those clips to go along with the story. I was amazed at how many mouse clip arts the clip art I subscribe to had.

MISSY, I checked my inbox and my junk folder and did not find an email from you. That is too cool that this showed up on a Google alert. I thought about making it memebers only but then decided it was a good thing to share with the WORLD. It appears that it is being shared.

GITA, That would be a good thing to have on CD; maybe my next Amazon order I will get that.

Marchel, I have not read that book and always meant to. Shame on me. However, our office is now doing a book club about sales are real estate related topics and we discussed reading this book. I will just leave you now and get over to Amazon and order it. Thanks! PS love your new photo!

Marchel,

I read the book on the way back from a real estate conference when it first came out. It is a wonderful book. For the people who would like it on cd why don't you read it aloud recording it. The book is ver short and wouldn't take long.

I haven't heard of the book but am an avid reader myself. I think I should get an additional Amazon discount for volume...

It sounds pretty appropriate for the current real estate market with agents trying to decide what to do.

I have read this and it is a very good book. I had watched the cartoon at some training event and just had to buy it.

Couldn't agree with you more. A must read.

I read this book while sitting in a vehicle repair shop, and too was amazed at how small and thin it was because I had read all of the reviews and had been told it was a great find. However, after I read it, it defintely left its impression on me and taught me to stay on my toes. Great post!

Thanks for sharing. I picked this up at the library in March and found it to be so enjoyable. It's such a quick read, but has a terrific message that really gets you thinking. It's a good one to review from time to time, especially when we experience change in our lives.

Sometimes finding what you want is the hard part for peopel. Thanks for sharing your reading blog. Lu

AUDREY, I have wanted to read this for quite some time and just kept forgetting to put it on my Amazon orders. It would be a wonderful book to do as a book club book. Thanks by the way on the photo.

BECKY, That's a great idea about recording the book yourself but I'm not sure if I could stand listening to myself (lol). It is a quick read and would be easy to do though.

MELINA, A volume discount through Amazon would be great. You should see my Amazon bill at Christmas time. My yound adult children are big readers also so I just shop off their wish list. You will find that you read this very fast but I have already read it a second time.

KEITH & ROBIN, I didn't know it was in cartoon form also. I'll bet that was cute.

TINA, I plan on having my young adult daughter read it when she comes home as she will be visiting us this next week and is looking at moving her cheese.

TIFFANY, I could see where it would be easy to finish while waiting for a car. It is a quick read but wonderful life lessons. It is so easy to get set in our ways and not even realize that our cheese is moving.

LYNN, It is a good life book and who would have thought from little mice and little people.

LU, We can spend a lot of time in this life searching can't we? That cheese is constantly on the move also. I have found just when I think I'm comfortable something happens and I have to do that stretch again.

Marchel:

Read this book about a decade ago and made it maditory for all my leadership when we were pastors. Great learnings that we all need to make. Thanks for reminding me. By the way, love your new profile picture. Have a great week.

It's always tough to argue with a bestseller.

In life, as you know Marchel, you are either green and growing, or rotting and dying. We must keep adapting to change. I loved that book. You need to write Cliff Notes on the side : )

ALAN, I somehow missed this a decade ago. I have his One Minute Manager but that was from when I first got in to sales/managment some 25 years ago. I loved it now though. I just gave it to my daughter to read.

ANDREW, After reading it I can see why it is a best seller. It is one of those books you need to read ever once in a while because life is about cheese being moved.

GARY, If htere is one thing that is constant about life it would be CHANGE. I always loved writing book reports and I guess that came out. Maybe I have a new career cliff note writer.

APR

2008

"One of his first discoveries was if you do not change you can become extinct. "

Truer words were never spoken. Big thumbs up - I never read this book but I do kind of live that way anyway - what's the point with balking? Either lead, follow, or get out of the way has always been my motto. lol My mom and dad were more like Hem, and I guess I frustrated them with my lack of manners - i.e., resistance to accepting things as they are. LOL

KAREN, I expect you would love this book!! My parents especially my Mom were more like Scurry and still are. My husband's parents on the other hand are Hem all the way. We are blessed to still have both sets of parents but they have retired so differently. My parents just scurried back to Colorado from their winter home in Arizona; my husband's parents have never left Kansas. It has been a stark difference for our children to see.

Marchel- I just found this in the e-PRO Group and the Positive Attitudes Group.....nice addition to both, and the story is one that I think many of us can identify with. Thank you for sharing it.

Kathy, Thanks! I thought it fit for both groups. I try to fit the post to the group but sometimes it is hard to find 5 groups so lots of times they end up in the Almost Anything Goes group also.

APR

2008

Marchel, this is a delightful little book! Read it many years ago in a very short time. Maybe now is a good time to read it again! ;-) I love your summary - very nice. ;-) Do you get your clipart from clipart.com?

TERI, I have my daughter reading it now and when I go to visit my family in Colorado my sister is going to read it. It is a fast read but what LIFE LESSONS!!

I get my clip art from iclip. I have a subscription to them and this is the cool part "Use iCLIPART.com images in Web sites, newsletters, brochures, advertisements, announcements, signs -- virtually any graphic design project you can think of! iCLIPART.com content is used by professional and non-professional alike for creating design projects at work, home, school, for sport, church, clubs and beyond". I don't have to worry about the fact that it might be for advertising as they allow it with a subscription.

That sounds like a great book. I bet everyone has been is that situation where they continue to do the same thing over and over and it doesn't get any better. Sometimes we all need a little push. Thanks for sharing.

MAY

2008

My cheese moved about a year and a half ago (single famly homes), so I started to work with investors who are buying and selling multifamily properties. It's a very different market, but enabled me to double my production last year when single family sales dropped precipitously. I'm trying to get my husband to take over that end of my business, as I love residential sales and want to focus more on that as the market heats up again, but don't want to lose my investor client base, which is very valuable as it is repeat business (if they are divesting their assets, you can end up selling their whole inventory, which could be dozens of properties and if they are in the acquisition mode they can be buying dozens as well). Sniff, sniff, sniff - I'm still following the cheese, whereever it is. I won't go hungry!

Hi Marchel,
First, like your new photo...something I keep planning to do myself but somehow never get around to it.

I read this book several years ago but I should read it again. The lesson is a valuable one. Now, I need to check on my cheese, it seems to move around when I'm not watching.

It's a great book but I haven't read it since I got into real estate, I think I will have to read it again! I like your picture Marchel!

Marchel - I have not personally read it however I have listened to several friends rave about it.

Great book! I have listened to the tape several times.

KAREN, It is a quick read too. I have read it a couple of times already but it is one of those you can read time and again.

GAIL, You do sound like Sniff and Scurry. Good for you in moving with the cheese!! Life is all about our cheese moving; isn't it?

CYNTHIA, That darn cheese is always moving around. Thanks about the picture. I think I will try to have it taken when it isn't quite so sunny though.

PATRICIA, This will be a perfect time for you to pick it up again. I wonder if it will affect you differently now. I know that has been the case for me with different self help books.

JENNIFER, My friend talking about it was what finally prompted me to buy it. I remember reading the One Minute Manager years ago when I first got in to managment and enjoyed it also. I honestly didn't know this was written by the same guy until it came in the mail. I rarely got to the bookstore, Amazon is my friend. I'm sure they like me also (lol).

CAROL, I really need to order the tapes.

MAY

2008

Marchel- Thank you for recapping this story. I have not read this book, but do know about it. I am actually reading a few books at the same time right now, so will put this on the list.

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Marchel Peterson Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro ABR

Spring, TX

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