January 2013 Book Review: "I Moved Your Cheese" by Deepak Malhotra

"I Moved Your Cheese: For Those Who Refuse to Live as Mice in Someone Else's Maze"
By Deepak Malhotra
Reviewed by Kathleen Buchanan

“I Moved Your Cheese” (IMYC) is a clever rebuttal to the best-selling book “Who Moved My Cheese,” (WMMC) which was previously reviewed by Joan Carleton in the September, 2012 newsletter. Both books emphasize quality over quantity, as every page is undeniably packed with life lessons. They both offer solutions and considerations for dealing with change. WMMC encourages one to adapt to change, while IMYC encourages one to steer the change before it steers them.

“I Moved Your Cheese” tells the tale of three mice who refuse to accept the solutions for change offered in “The Good Book” (WMMC). Max, Zed and Big understand that change is inevitable, but refuse to consent to what has been bestowed upon them. The three mice redirect the change to create their own destiny. The other mice have learned to accept that someone keeps moving their cheese, while Max, Zed and Big move their own cheese.

A personal favorite that connected the dots for me is when Deepak Malhotra explained, “We should seek to understand why the change has been forced on us, how we might exert greater control over our lives in the future, whether the goals we are chasing are the correct ones…effective adaptation is not enough for success of happiness.” I believe the lesson that Malhotra is communicating is that we are all captains of our own ship.

There are two choices in life: the path of simple survival is to accept that change is inevitable, adhere to it and adjust your life accordingly. The more “entrepreneurial” choice is to challenge the change, turn it into an opportunity and question assumptions and limitations. In my opinion, if one is brave enough to weather the storm of this latter path, life will be full of limitless success and possibilities. Like Max, Zed and Big, never underestimate the ability to control one’s destiny. Either move your own cheese, or someone is going to move it for you.