“Who Moved My Cheese?”
Proverb: a traditional saying, e.g. “People in
glass houses should not through stones.”
Other examples from Spanish and Chinese
are:
“De tal palo, tal astillo” = like father like son
“El que se fue a Sevilla, perdio su silla.” =
Possession is 9/10 of the law.
“Who Moved My Cheese?”
Allegory: a poem, play, picture, etc, in
which the apparent meaning of the
characters and events is used to
symbolize a deeper moral or spiritual
meaning
Ex. “The Giving Tree” “The Wizard of
Oz” “Animal Farm”
Movies- “District 9”, “Avatar”
Metaphor: The Characters
The characters are metaphors, while there
are 4 of them, each one represents a
different personality trait that each of us
has when we encounter some type of
change in our lives.
Metaphor: Cheese
'Cheese' is a metaphor for what you want
to have in life - whether it's a
good job, a loving relationship, money, a
possession, good health, or spiritual
peace of mind.
What is your
cheese?
What is a change you would
like to see in your life?
Metaphor: The Maze
The Maze' is where you look for what you
want – the organization you work in, the
family you live with, your school or
community you live in.
What is your
Maze?
Part 1: The Cheese Metaphor
The two Little people, Hem and Haw, used their
complex brains, filled with many beliefs and
emotions, to search for a very different kind of
Cheese— with a capital C—which they believed
would make them feel happy and successful.
Ever hear of
spending
cheese?
Part 1: The Maze Metaphor
The Maze was a labyrinth of corridors and chambers,
some containing delicious cheese. But there were
also dark corners and blind alleys leading
nowhere. It was an easy place for anyone to get
lost.
How does the
maze parallel
life decisions?
What is the primary difference between the
Mice and the men?
“The situation at Cheese Station C had
changed. So, Sniff and Scurry decided
to change.”
“Finally, he put his hands on his hips,
his face turned red, and he screamed
atthe top of his voice, "It's not fair!"
“The Little people's behavior was not very attractive
or productive, but it was understandable. Finding
Cheese wasn't easy, and it meant a great deal
moreto the Little people than just having enough of
it to eat every day.”
What Does the Writing on the
Wall Mean?
Consider this from Hem and
Haw’s perspective.
• Is it hard for them to adapt
to they are confronted with
change?
• What advice does this give
us about change? What can
we learn from their
example?
“Hem and Haw went
home that night hungry
and discouraged. But
before they
left. Haw wrote on the
wall:”
Notice & Respond:
We all lie to ourselves sometimes to help
us feel safe! How does Haw do this?
“Haw shut his eyes as tight as he could
and put his hands over his ears. He just
wanted to block everything out. He didn't
want to know the Cheese supply had
gradually been getting smaller. He
believed it had been moved all of a
sudden.”
Sniff
•Sniffs out and anticipates change sooner
than most kids.
•Because he anticipates, Sniff is better
prepared for change.
•Alert to small changes that may lead to
larger changes.
•Expects change to occur in life.
•Can adapt and change.
Scurry
•Scurries into action quickly when change
occurs, so he changes and wins sooner
than most kids.
•Easily changes direction, if needed.
•Can adapt and change.
Hem
•Gets hemmed in by his reluctance to
change.
•Wants to stay in comfortable
surroundings.
•Gets stuck in fear and discomfort.
•Gets angry, blames others, gets
depressed.
•Cannot adapt and doesn’t change, so he
loses.
Haw
•At first he “hems and haws,” but is able to
laugh at his fear of change (haw, haw!).
•Is able to see the real situation.
•Can adjust.
•Is happy when he changes and finds
something better.
Notice
& Respond:
Not only
do we sometimes avoid
Notice
&
Respond:
Does
the following
attitude
help the
you use
change,
sometimes
we create
change
to itself
betterby
yourself?
problem
avoiding the truth!
"Why should we change?" Hem asked. "We're Little
people. We're special. This sort of thing should not
happen to us. Or if it does, we should at least get
some benefits."
"Why should we get benefits?" Haw asked.
"Because we're entitled," Hem claimed.
Notice & Respond:
What is the biggest obstacle Hem and Haw
have to overcome so they can find new
Cheese?
“it's dangerous out there.“
"No it isn't" Haw argued. "We've run through
many parts of the Maze before, and we can
do it again."
"I'm getting too old for that," Hem said. "And
I'm afraid I'm not interested in getting lost
and making a fool of myself. Are you?"
Notice & Respond:
What is the biggest difference between
Hem and Haw? What do we learn from
him?
"Haw, haw, look at us. We keep doing the same
things over and over again and wonder why
things don't get better. If this wasn't so
ridiculous, it would be even funnier."
What Does the Writing on the
Wall Mean?
What are we supposed to
learn from Haw here?
What Does the Writing on the Wall
Mean?
Think or reflect by
yourself for a moment.
What could you
accomplish if you were
not afraid of change?
Who would you be?
What would you do?
Notice & Respond:
What does the author want us to learn by
allowing Haw to find a little cheese as he
sets out on his journey.
"During the next several days, Haw
found a little Cheese here and
there, but
nothing that lasted very long. He
had hoped to find enough Cheese
to take some back to Hem and
encourage him to come out into
the Maze.
What Does the Writing on the
Wall Mean?
“Haw now realized that the
change probably would not
have taken him by surprise
if he had been watching
what was happening all
along and if he had
anticipated change.”
Notice & Respond:
What does Haw feel like when writing this?
What does he have to keep on reminding
himself about?
1. He is afraid, and
Feels like going home.
2. He is better off trying
than not doing anything
at all. He felt best when
Moving.
Notice & Respond:
What are we to learn from this example?
As he started running down the dark
corridor he began to smile. Haw
didn't realize it yet, but he was
discovering what nourished his soul.
He was letting go and rusting what
lay ahead for him, even though he
did not know exactly
what it was.
Do you agree
or disagree?
When has this
been true for
you?
How might this
help you in the
future?
What is up with Hem anyway?
How would you
describe Hem
here?
Do you know
anyone who
acts like Hem?
Business Seminar Preview!
Having Cheese
makes You Happy
Movement in a New
Direction Helps You
Find New Cheese!
The More Important Your
Cheese is to You, The More You
Want to Hold on to it
When You Stop Being Afraid
you Feel Good!
If You Do Not Change, You Can
Become Extinct
Imagining Yourself Enjoying
Your New Cheese Leads You To
It!
What Would You do, if You
Weren't Afraid?
The Quicker You Let Go of Your
Old Cheese, The Sooner You
Find New Cheese!
Smell The Cheese Often so You
Know When its Getting Old.
It is Safer To Search in a Maze,
Than to Remain in a Cheesless
Situation!