1 Who Moved My Cheese Writing Responses The four characters represent how we respond to change.

When it comes to change, who are you in the story? I can relate to Haws journey in many ways. At first, I used to deny change and perceive it as an absolutely negative notion. I always hoped that whatever was happening would not affect me. I wanted to remain in my comfort zone and refused to accept the necessity of change. My fear of the unknown often prevented me from doing things differently both in my personal life and as a student. I stubbornly continued to behave in the same way despite the changed circumstances. However, as I learned more about the nature of change, I realized that sticking to long-established beliefs is not effective. As Haw, who gradually became aware that he had been held captive by his own fear, I had to overcome my fears and stereotypes (Johnson 17). At first, it was challenging to accept the idea that things can and should be done differently, and that, in fact, I would gain much more from being adaptable and flexible than from remaining in my comfort zone. I think that I am still undergoing transformation in my mentality and have not reached the state of mind and spirit of Haw. Still, I can identify mistakes of the past, and I hope to turn them into the valuable lessons for the future. I realize that change is inevitable and that old cheese will always convert into new cheese. I take the responsibility for making the decision to let go of the old one and begin the exciting journey to the new one.

Cheese is a symbol for whatever is important to you the way you do your job, relationships with other people, health, peace of mind, etc. The maze is where you look for Cheese your organization, community or family. What is YOUR Cheese, and where are you looking for IT?

2 Currently, cheese in my life refers to my education and well-being. My goal is to become as knowledgeable, skilled, and professional as I can via excelling in my studies. My positive attitude to life is rooted in being good at what I do, and at the moment it is studying. The whole process is very important to my future career and my level of confidence; though, I realize that once that goal is achieved I will have to understand where my new cheese lies. Clearly, my institution is the maze where this present-day cheese can be found. By institution, I mean knowledge, material means of its acquisition, the faculty, and academic environment overall. In terms of personal life, my health is the top priority at the moment. It is a critical aspect of a decent quality of life, and it is and will continue to be essential to locating my cheese regardless of the situations I will find myself in. The maze where this objective can be achieved is multi-layered and cannot be clearly defined. On the one hand, it consists of my everyday habits, i.e. what I eat, how much I sleep, how I organize my time, etc. On the other hand, it consists of my surroundings (i.e. support from friends in sport activities), available sport facilities, etc.

What do you need to let go of in order to succeed in a changing situation? I think that the strongest obstacle to change is fear, and I am no exception to this general rule. It is always an uneasy feeling to leave ones familiar surroundings and traditional way of life (or doing things) and do something differently without knowing the outcome. In fact, the latter is the most critical aspect in this context. While established patterns of behavior always bring an anticipated result, change implies many risks and uncertainties. There is always a fear of failure, a fear of not being accepted by the society (community) because you change something in your life, a fear of not knowing what exactly to do. However, it is impossible to find out the outcome unless one makes an attempt. The comforting thought that Johnson highlights in his book is that the actual benefits from

3 changing can be far more rewarding than expected. People tend to dwell on the negatives, making them look worse that they actually are. As Johnson (19) rightfully points out, The fear you let build up in your mind is worse than the situation that actually exists. Moreover, once a person begins to change, it does not seem as difficult or risky as in the beginning. I think that I would like to accept change promptly and not waste time on overanalyzing it. The quicker the decision is made, the quicker the new cheese will be found.

What would you do differently in the way you do your job or live your life if you were completely unafraid? I think that if people were completely unafraid of change, they would lead a completely different life. From a personal perspective, if I were completely unafraid, I reckon that I would be more aware of the options available to me in terms of personal growth and more willing to accept them. Prior to coming to terms with change as an integral part of my life, I often rejected the opportunities to learn something new. I was afraid of failure because I did not have enough knowledge or skill. Also, I was afraid to change my traditional lifestyle and uncertain of how devoting time to such an opportunity would affect my other activities. If I were completely unafraid, I would be more active and enthusiastic about such opportunities. I would find solutions and adapt to new activities in my life instead of finding excuses to avoid them. In its turn, that would help me change in other ways. It would mean that I would have more options to develop as a personality and as a professional. I would have more alternatives in terms of job. I would be able to expand my circle of contacts and friends. One change would bring other changes and make my life more exciting, interesting, and fear-free. I would take more risks and, thus, gain more.

4 Can you change quickly enough to succeed in a rapidly changing world? What actions can you take soon? I do not have a definite answer to this question. Without doubt, the pace of change is accelerating in the modern world. However, I reckon that the key to success does not lie in the speed of reaction to change, but rather in acceptance of change, readiness to change, and not overcomplicating the whole process. When change becomes a lifestyle, the problem ceases to exist altogether. In a way, the constant pressure to change, especially emphasized in the business milieu, impairs effective response to it. Moreover, there are values that should remain constant, in my opinion. Hence, success also lies in the ability to relate the constants to the variables. In order to react, it is essential to identify change first. Thus, just as Haw scanned the maze for new options even after finding a rich supply of cheese at Station N because he knew it was safer to be aware of his real choices than to isolate himself in his comfort zone, I intend to be open to change and pay attention to what is going on around me (Johnson 25). I think that it is important to accept that there are certain things being my control. This way, it would be easier to avoid overanalyzing the situation; I would rather concentrate on my actions and how they relate to the identified change. My first step in response to change is gathering information. After its analysis has been completed, I can move on to planning a response. These steps can be executed in a quick manner, if I do not let comfort make me lazy and switch to a position of denial again.

5 Works Cited Johnson, Spencer. Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life. New York, NY: G. P. Putnams Sons, 1998. Print.