At first, I wasn’t really that thrilled to read Who Moved My Cheese because I am more into fiction than non-fiction. But after I started to read it, it became a page-turner. It is a simple story with a much deeper meaning that could possibly change your life and how you look at things around you.
Who Moved My Cheese, a book written by Dr. Spencer Johnson to help himself cope in difficult times, became one of the international bestsellers due to its impact on the readers. The story takes place in a maze with four amusing characters looking for ‘cheese’. Cheese, here, is a metaphor that represents what you want to have in your life. It is different for different individuals. To some, it may mean comfort or a good relationship while to some it may mean money or a good job. People often get attached to their cheese and are afraid to let go.
Who Moved My Cheese made me realize that change might not be such a bad thing. People tend to get too attached to their comfort zone – here, their cheese. When the cheese is taken away from them, they get frustrated and lose hope instead of painting a new picture with a new cheese in it. This book compels us to think – instead of getting stuck on searching for the person who moved my cheese, why don’t I get up and move on? When in comfort zone, people often tend to ignore the small changes around them and live in denial. It takes time to change and adapt to new things but the faster way to adapt to the change is to laugh at your own folly. The quicker you let go off of the past, the better you can move on to the new future.
Everyone is afraid of change. However, instead of being scared of it, we can adapt to it and enjoy it. Who Moved My Cheese was an amazing and inspiring read. Even after finishing the book, it has constantly been asking, “What would I do if I wasn’t afraid?”
Lajana Maharjan
(Lajana is a participant of Creative Writing Training being organized by Panga Community Library and this book review is an assignment during the training)
Click image for details
