Author: Spencer Johnson
Do you feel your life is stuck in a rut because you knowingly, or unwittingly, fear and avoid change? It might seem odd to reference one of the world’s most popular management books for this website since gocarpediemnow.com is not focused on business. But this wonderful little book packs in so many brilliant but simple messages for motivating yourself to change – to change whatever it is in life that is forcing you to change, or that you want to change. The author, Spencer Johnson, wrote the book primarily for people in the corporate world who find change scary, but it is equally applicable to any of us humans in our ever-changing world.
The book is a quick read, front to back in less than an hour for most readers. It is told as a parable through the eyes of two mice (Sniff and Scurry) and two tiny “people” (Hem and Haw). The maze in the story is a metaphor of our world around us with all of its complexities and challenges. The cheese is a metaphor for whatever it is you want in life – a good job, good health, an amazing adventure… If you think about some dream in life that you want to accomplish (run a marathon perhaps, or something much bigger?) and take a close look at what is preventing you from getting started, you might find it boils down to dealing with change. As the story of the mice unfolds, mini lessons include simple points such as:
– When you move beyond your fear, you feel free.
– Movement in a new direction helps you find new cheese.
– What would you do if you weren’t afraid?
– Imagining myself enjoying new cheese leads me to it.
– When you see that you can find and enjoy new cheese, you change course.
If you are the kind of person who tends to be comfortable with the status quo, yet yearn to break out and do something different, this is a good book for introspection.