“Life is no straight and easy corridor along Which we travel free and unhampered, But a maze of passages, Through which we must seek our way, Lost and confused, now and again Checked in a blind alley. But always, if we have faith, A door will open for us, Not perhaps one that we ourselves Would ever have thought of, But one that will ultimately Prove good for us.” -A. J. Cronin

Who Moved My Cheese? -A Summary of the Story- Presented by Traveling Coaches Author: Spencer Johnson, M.D.

The Story Once upon a time... Four little characters who ran through a maze looking for cheese to nourish them and make them happy

Four Imaginary Characters The Mice Sniff Scurry The Littlepeople (two beings as small as mice but who look and act a lot like people) Hem Haw

The Search for Cheese Sniff and Scurry Simple rodent brains Good instincts Hem and Haw Complex brains Beliefs and emotions

The Maze Corridors and chambers Some containing delicious cheese Dark corners and blind alleys leading nowhere Easy place to get lost Secrets allowing better life

Navigating the Maze Sniff and Scurry Trial and error Often lost Bumped into walls Hem and Haw Ability to think and learn Perception clouded by beliefs and emotions

Cheese is found! Each morning, our four characters race through the maze, eager to enjoy their cheese.

The Daily Grind The mice Dressed in their running gear Head over to Cheese Station C The littlepeople Also raced toward Cheese Station C each morning Until different routine set in...

Lifestyle of Hem and Haw Wake a little later Dress a little slower Walk to Cheese Secure Comfortable

Having Cheese Makes You Happy

The Littlepeople Attitude Every night, they would return home full of cheese Every morning, they would confidently return for more We worked hard, we deserve this Cheese

Sniff and Scurry Routine Also returning to their cheese each morning Sniffed, scratched, scurried around inspecting

No Cheese for Sniff and Scurry But since Sniff and Scurry had noticed their diminishing supply of cheese, they weren’t surprised Prepared for the inevitable Knew instinctively what to do

No Cheese for Hem and Haw Unaware of their changing environment Unprepared to find their Cheese missing Who Moved My Cheese? It’s Not Fair!

Shock and Disbelief Response Unattractive Unproductive But understandable

Importance of Cheese Meant a great deal more than just having enough to eat every day Material things Good health Family Cozy cottage Position

While Sniff and Scurry Move On Hem and Haw continue to hem and haw Ranted and raved about injustice Depression What about future plans?

The More Important Your Cheese Is To You The More You Want To Hold On To It

The Next Day... Hem and Haw returned to Cheese Station C expecting to somehow find their cheese By the way... Where are Sniff and Scurry?

Sniff and Scurry Farther and farther into the maze Up and down corridors Single goal of finding more cheese Entered an area where they had never been

In the Meantime... Hem and Haw still analyzing situation Angry about the injustice Looking for benefits Feeling entitled and betrayed

Hem vs. Haw Haw decides to leave Hem doesn’t want to It’s dangerous I’m too old I might get lost Make a fool of myself We might fail

Hem’s Idea Perhaps if we just work harder, we’ll find that nothing has really changed The difference between activity and productivity

Waiting For Improvement Littlepeople growing weak from hunger and stress Losing their edge Continue doing the same things over and over and...

Prepare to re-enter the Maze or Wait until they put the Cheese back?

Haw’s Wisdom “Sometimes things change and they are never the same again. This looks like one of those times. That’s life! Life moves on. And so should we.”

If You Do Not Change, You Can Become Extinct

Fear and Anxiety What if there is no other Cheese in the maze? What if I am unable to find Cheese? Why didn’t I get up and move with the Cheese sooner?

What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid?

Back In The Maze A little Cheese here and there Confusing Two steps forward, one step backward Not easier – but better than Cheeseless situation

Looking Back Cheese hadn’t actually disappeared overnight Smaller and smaller Old and moldy Should have anticipated change

Smell The Cheese Often So You Know When It Is Getting Old

Haw Is Discouraged Empty Cheese Station Wants to give up Losing physical strength Continuing fear What would I do if I weren’t afraid?

Movement In A New Direction Helps You Find New Cheese

When You Move Beyond Your Fear, You Feel Free

Imagining Myself Enjoying New Cheese Even Before I Find It Leads Me To It

The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Cheese The Sooner You Find New Cheese

It Is Safer To Search In The Maze Than Remain In A Cheeseless Situation

Old Beliefs Do Not Lead You To New Cheese

When You See That You Can Find And Enjoy New Cheese You Change Course

Noticing Small Changes Early Helps You Adapt To The Bigger Changes That Are To Come

New Cheese As Haw enjoyed the New Cheese, he reflected on what he had learned Held on to illusion of Cheese when it was no longer there Learned to laugh at his own folly You can let go and quickly move on

And Haw Learned Keep life simple Don’t overanalyze or complicate Change with the situation Envision success Learn from mistakes and use them to plan for the future

The Handwriting On The Wall 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

The Handwriting On The Wall 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

The Handwriting On The Wall Be Ready To Change Quickly And Enjoy It Again And Again They Keep Moving The Cheese

Move With The Cheese And Enjoy It!