The Story Behind The Story  By Kenneth Blanchard, Ph. D

I am thrilled to be telling you "the story behind the story" of Who Moved My Cheese? because it means the book has now been written, and is available for all of us to read, enjoy and share with others.

　　This is something I've wanted to see happen ever since I first heard Spencer Johnson tell his great"Cheese" story, years ago, before we wrote our book The One Minute Manager together.

　　I remember thinking then how good the story was and how helpful it would be to me from thatmoment on.

　　Who Moved My Cheese? is a story about change that takes place in a Maze where four amusingcharacters look for "Cheese" - cheese being a metaphor for what we want to have in life, whether itis job, a relationship, money, a bid house, freedom, health, recognition, spiritual peace, or even anactivity like jogging or golf..

　　Each of us has our own idea of what Cheese is, and we pursue it because we believe it makes ushappy. If we get it, we often become attached to it. And if we lose it, or it's taken away, it can betraumatic.

　　The "Maze" in the story represents where you spend time looking for what you want. It can be theorganization you work in, the community you live in, or the relationships you have in your life.

　　I tell the Cheese story that you are about to read in my talks around the world, and often hear laterfrom people about what a difference it has made to them.

　　Believe it or not, this little story has been credited with saving careers, marriages and lives!

　　One of the many real-life examples comes from Charlie Jones, a well-respected broadcaster for NBC-TV, who revealed that hearing the story of "Who Moved My Cheese?" saved his career. Hisjob as a broadcaster is unique, but the principles he learned can be used by anyone.

　　Here's what happened: Charlie had worked hard and had done a great job of broadcasting Trackand Field events at an earlier Olympic Games, so he was surprised and upset when his boss told himhe'd been removed from these showcase events for the next Olympics and assigned to Swimmingand Diving.

　　Not knowing these as well, he was frustrated. He felt unappreciated and he became angry. Hesaid he felt it wasn't fair! His anger began to affect everything he did.

　　Then, he heard the story of "Who Moved My Cheese?"After that he said he laughed at himself and changed his attitude. He realized his boss had just"moved his Cheese". So he adapted. He learned the two new sports, and in the process, foundthat doing something new made him feel young.

　　It wasn't long before his boss recognized his new attit............