I Moved Your Cheese: For Those Who Refuse to Live as Mice in Someone Else's Maze / Edition 1 available in Hardcover, Audiobook
I Moved Your Cheese: For Those Who Refuse to Live as Mice in Someone Else's Maze / Edition 1
- ISBN-10:
- 1609940652
- ISBN-13:
- 9781609940652
- Pub. Date:
- 09/05/2011
- Publisher:
- Berrett-Koehler Publishers
- ISBN-10:
- 1609940652
- ISBN-13:
- 9781609940652
- Pub. Date:
- 09/05/2011
- Publisher:
- Berrett-Koehler Publishers
I Moved Your Cheese: For Those Who Refuse to Live as Mice in Someone Else's Maze / Edition 1
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$19.95Overview
I Moved Your Cheese reveals what is possible when we finally discard long-held and widely accepted assumptions about how we should live our lives. After all, achieving extraordinary success, personal or professional, has always depended on the ability to challenge assumptions, reshape the environment, and play by a different set of rules—our own. But rejecting deeply ingrained beliefs is not easy. As Zed explains, “You see, Max, the problem is not that the mouse is in the maze, but that the maze is in the mouse.”
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781609940652 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Berrett-Koehler Publishers |
| Publication date: | 09/05/2011 |
| Series: | Bk Business Series |
| Pages: | 120 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.70(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
I MOVED YOUR CHEESE
For those who refuse to live as mice in someone else's mazeBy Deepak Malhotra
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
Copyright © 2011 Deepak MalhotraAll right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-60994-067-6
Contents
Preface....................ixI MOVED YOUR CHEESE The Good Book....................3
Max....................9
Zed....................12
Why....................15
Even the "Impossible"....................25
Up....................29
Big....................36
Out....................40
Who Moved My Cheese?....................44
I Moved Your Cheese....................50
Walls....................56
The Maze in the Mouse....................59
A Mouse Like No Other....................67
Some Mice Are Big....................69
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Reflection Questions for Individuals....................80
Discussion Questions for Groups and Book Clubs....................83
Discussion Questions for Your Organization (or Team)....................86
A Note to Educators....................89
A Note to Managers and Executives....................92
Questions to the Author....................95
Acknowledgments....................98
About the Author....................101
Chapter One
THE GOOD BOOK
They called it a revolution. The lesson—the insight—had spread throughout the maze. Scarcely a mouse remained who had not heard what was contained in the good book.
The insight was profound. More importantly, it did not rely too much on one's ability to reason. And any mouse will tell you that this attribute is the hallmark of all great truths. So it was accepted as perhaps the greatest, and certainly the most important, truth. And it was all so simple.
The book made it clear: Change happens. You can sit there and complain about it, or you can change with the times. Do not fear change. Accept change. What happens in the maze is beyond your control. What you can control is your reaction.
Now, just because every mouse had come to understand this insight does not mean that every one of them was able to adopt it in practice. Some succeeded fully. They learned that change is inevitable and uncontrollable. They accepted that they were helpless to control the workings of the maze—fate, they called it—and they pledged to adapt.
Many others succeeded to a lesser degree. They still had moments of fear, immobility, depression, and despair. But such moments were less frequent than in the past. These mice improved their lot in the maze considerably.
To be sure, there were also mice who rarely thought about what the good book taught them. They agreed with it in principle but did not have the time or energy to change their ways. After all, habits are hard to break. They would work on it later—maybe next week, maybe next year.
Overall, life in the maze was now quite different. In the past, when cheese moved from one location to another, all the mice were in despair. They could not understand what happened. They cursed their luck. They sat and waited in the cheese corner of the past and prayed for its return. They got agitated and lost their temper. They got angry and made an already difficult life even worse.
Now, after reading the good book, the mice reacted differently. The disappearance of the cheese was still traumatic, and it was still impossible to understand why the cheese had moved. But now the mice began to go in search of new cheese depots. Those who had fully adopted the good book's philosophy were the first to set about in search of the new cheese.
Those who struggled with the philosophy, who found it difficult to break old habits, were slower to move. But they, too, understood that they had to change with changing times. They, too, eventually went to look for more cheese.
By learning to change with changing times, the mice succeeded in finding more cheese. They found it more quickly than they had ever done in the past. The good book was right! They had cheese ... more cheese, and sooner than ever before. It does not get much better than that if you are a mouse.
And so the mice no longer questioned why the cheese moved. Everyone agreed that such questions had no answers. They did not try to devise plans to try to stop the cheese from moving. Only a fool would think that fate could be controlled. Above all, they never again asked the unreasonable question, "Who moved my cheese?"
Life was simpler now. It all came down to a very simple equation:
You want cheese
+
The cheese is no longer here = Go elsewhere to find the cheese.
After all, for a mouse in a maze, cheese is really all that matters.
But then ...
Well ... then there was Max.
And Max was altogether different.
Chapter Two
MAX
When Max was younger, he once asked his parents why there was a maze. His parents didn't understand the question. When he persisted, they told him that some questions have no answers and that the maze simply is. When he asked why the maze was designed the way it was, and why it had so many useless paths, they told him not to waste time wondering why. They told him to focus, instead, on learning how to navigate the maze. You don't get to the cheese by wondering why, they said; you get to it by running around the maze as fast as you can. The maze, they explained, was a given. You work with what you're given. It is pretty arrogant for a young mouse to think that he could do otherwise, they cautioned.
Max was not blessed with the virtue of blind obedience. Instead, he continued to annoy his parents, his friends, his teachers, and anyone else who made the mistake of discussing such matters with him. The more he questioned, the more he discovered how little the other mice understood. They knew a whole lot, but they understood very little.
One day Max came across the good book. It infuriated him. He could not figure out how such a book could be so widely read and so blindly accepted. Upon reading the book, all the other mice had resolved to accept change without question because change, it taught, was inevitable and uncontrollable.
But Max was different. And upon reading the book, Max resolved quite the opposite.
Max was determined to discover who had moved the cheese. He was determined to discover why they had moved it. He was determined to discover why the maze was the way it was. And he was determined to change what he did not like about the maze. And so he set about it.
And a long time passed.
Chapter Three
ZED
Zed was a mouse who did not care much for cheese. He ate cheese because it helped sustain his body. And he cared to sustain his body mostly because it was needed to sustain his mind.
Zed had a reputation for being wise, although few mice had ever spoken with him in great depth. He was a popular mouse, but he usually only spoke on important matters when someone else initiated the conversation. Zed loved company, but he seemed to appreciate moments of solitude just as much.
Zed had a magnetic personality. He had a certain look in his eyes—and a half smile—that mesmerized his audiences. And an audience is what they were—the mice who visited him were there to be in his company, to hear him speak, to be rejuvenated. No one could quite explain why he had such an effect on them.
What they knew, and what every other mouse came to know, was that Zed was a mouse like no other. He did not care for cheese, he did not care to learn how to navigate the maze, and he did not feel compelled to follow the routines and customs of the other mice. Yet, somehow, it was clear that Zed loved his life—the life of a mouse—more than any other mouse they had ever known.
As a result, those who knew Zed—or had heard of him—simultaneously revered and feared him. They revered him because his mere presence—his manner of being—inspired them to be great. They feared him because he was living proof that someone who seemed to challenge their every belief about what was important could still be happy—and in fact, could be happier than any other mouse in the maze.
One day, on seeing Zed sitting quietly in one corner of the maze, a small group of mice gathered. As Zed lifted his eyes, he noticed that they were eager to speak with him. Zed had grown accustomed to such unplanned, informal discussions. He was accustomed to the way they began, the way they progressed, and the way they tended to end. He did not expect any surprises.
That, perhaps, is why they are called surprises.
Chapter Four
WHY
One of the younger mice in the group spoke first.
"Zed," began the young mouse, "my friends and I were discussing the good book. We were talking about how we might learn to accept change—how we might get past idle speculation about 'why' change happens. You know, it is said that change is inevitable and cannot be controlled ... Well, certainly you've read the good book. Anyway, my friend here mentioned that you do not care much for the book. That you do not really believe what it says. Which is—well, I must say that I think you're wrong. I mean ... Of course, I want to hear why you would think so. Everyone says that you are a great thinker and that you are very wise. But ... I know that you're wrong. How can you possibly reject the great insight of our age—of all ages! I was hoping—well, we were hoping to hear what you had to say about it. It's not true, is it? Do you disagree that change is inevitable?"
Zed smiled. "I do not disagree. The good book is quite right. Change is inevitable."
The young mouse was visibly relieved. He felt he should thank Zed. He was about to express his gratitude when Zed spoke again.
"I do not disagree," Zed repeated. "But I think it is unimportant. It is irrelevant."
The young mouse was stunned. He wished Zed had outright disagreed with him. Difficult as it is to hear that your thinking is flawed, it is much worse to hear that your thinking is pointless.
"How can you say that!" exclaimed the young mouse.
"Well," replied Zed, "let me start by asking you a question. You tell me that change is inevitable. What is so important about this insight of yours?"
"It ... it tells us how to live. It explains what is important. It explains what we can control and what we cannot—so it helps us focus. It tells us how to make the best use of our time." The young mouse was beginning to gain confidence. "It teaches us to be efficient. It helps us become more effective. It does all of this—and perhaps more."
"Very well," said Zed. "That is an impressive list."
The young mouse looked pleased.
"Will you indulge me just once more?" asked Zed.
"Yes, of course," replied the young mouse.
"You say the insight explains what is important," started Zed. "Tell me—what have you learned is important? What have you been taught to focus on? What goal does the good book suggest you spend your time pursuing? What are you efficient at achieving? Your effectiveness is measured by what standard?"
The young mouse looked at him. He thought about answering each question in turn. He was preparing to do this—and then it dawned on him. There was one answer. The same one answer to every question Zed asked. And the young mouse fell silent, shocked by what he realized.
More mice had gathered by now. All eyes were on the young mouse. They were waiting for him to answer. They were getting anxious.
"Cheese," answered the young mouse. "The answer to all of your questions is cheese. That is what I have learned is important. It is what all of us have been taught to focus on. It is what we spend our time chasing. All we can control is how fast we run in search of cheese. The best among us are efficient at finding cheese. Our effectiveness—the standard by which we measure success—is just that: How much cheese do we have?" And then he added a final word. It was not in response to anything that Zed had asked. It was in response to the realization that overwhelmed him.
"Why," stated the young mouse solemnly. It was an answer—a conclusion—and not a question.
Zed smiled compassionately.
By now, the crowd was much agitated. They felt betrayed by the young mouse.
"What is the meaning of all this?" shouted an elderly mouse. "What is the point of this discussion? Who are you to decide what is relevant? Why, you agreed that change is inevitable—that it is uncontrollable—and—"
"I did not agree to that," interrupted Zed. "I did not agree that change is uncontrollable."
"If you disagree, then you're a fool," sputtered the elderly mouse.
"Perhaps."
The elderly mouse continued, angrily. "And what can be more important than this? What can be more relevant to a mouse than this?
Do you not wish for us to pursue what might make us happy?"
Zed continued to look at the young mouse. The young mouse had moved closer to Zed, away from the crowd. Zed looked at him, gently, and spoke, answering the elderly mouse but still addressing the young mouse.
"What I wish is not that you pursue happiness, but that you actually find happiness. Is it possible to pursue happiness if the pursuit itself does not make you happy?"
The young mouse answered, sadly: "No. Not in the maze. In the maze, there is only pursuit. It has no end. No matter how much cheese you accumulate, you keep running. You don't find happiness here. You only find more cheese."
The crowd was in despair. The elderly mouse took to the offensive.
"Those are fine words. But they are not worth much. A mouse must take the maze as given. All a mouse has to think about is how best to navigate this maze. And when the cheese moves, the only thing a mouse has to ponder is how to find it again. What would you have us ponder instead?"
Zed looked at the elderly mouse and smiled. Then he answered.
"Why, there are many more interesting and important things to ponder," Zed responded matter-of-factly. "Have you ever thought about why change is inevitable? Have you ever wondered why the maze is the way it is—what purpose it serves? Have you ever thought to ask why mice spend their entire lives in search of cheese? Have you ever wondered, upon finding it missing, who moved my cheese?"
The last of these struck the crowd. All at once the anxious mice began to retort—to shout:
"This is a waste of time."
"Why ask such questions?"
"It's preposterous."
"Ludicrous."
"Childish."
"Impractical."
"No one can know who moved the cheese."
"There is no answer to that."
The crowd settled, and there was a brief silence.
And then, shattering the stillness of the moment, a voice from behind the crowd was heard. The voice was powerful, confident, and dispassionate—almost indifferent. But the words were spoken deliberately.
"I know who moved the cheese," it said. "And I know why they moved it."
Chapter Five
EVEN THE "IMPOSSIBLE"
The crowd was aghast. They turned to see who had spoken those impossible words. They turned to see whether anyone would lay claim to such an utterance. They turned and saw Max. No one had seen him in almost a year. He was exultant.
Max was looking past the crowd—through them. His gaze was fixed on Zed. He did not seem to notice the crowd.
"I know who moved the cheese," Max repeated. "And I will tell you about it." He was speaking only to Zed.
The crowd was silent. They would have quickly disregarded the outburst as a lunatic's rant, but Max had a look in his eyes that dismissed such a notion. Each of the mice, individually, knew that he was serious. As a group, they were unwilling to consider this possibility. They did not know what to think. They did not want to think. Each of them was waiting for someone else to do the thinking—for someone in the crowd to decide how they should all react. Finally, the elderly mouse snickered.
Continues...
Excerpted from I MOVED YOUR CHEESE by Deepak Malhotra Copyright © 2011 by Deepak Malhotra. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
PrefaceI Moved Your Cheese
The Good Book
Max
Zed
Why
Even the Impossible
Up
Big
Out
Who Moved My Cheese
I Moved Your Cheese
Walls
The Maze in the Mouse
A Mouse Like No Other
Some Mice are Big
Reflection Questions for Individuals
Discussion Questions for Groups and Book Clubs
Discussion Questions for your Organization or Team
A Note to Educators
A Note to Managers and Executives
Questions to the Author
Acknowledgments
About the Author