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Gifts by Occasion:
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WELCOME
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Where's the Cheese?
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Think positive, be prepared for change, and always look for the good in people. These are three concepts which, when we follow them, may greatly improve our lives. If we allow ourselves to get caught in a rut, to believe we are always held back, to see ourselves as the victims of circumstances, and to criticize others for their weaknesses, we will never find the happiness we crave and aspire for.
It is easy to read about these concepts, as you can find them in three wonderfully crafted books:
Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson
Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results by Stephen C. Lundin
Whale Done! The Power of Positive Relationships by Kenneth Blanchard
In “Who Moved My Cheese?”, we follow the story of two little mice and two littlepeople (they are as small as mice but act just like humans of today). The mice are “Sniff” and “Scurry” and the littlepeople are “Hem” and “Haw”. The mice look for “cheese” much as mice always do, while the littlepeople look for “Cheese” that will make them happy. When they find a big stash, they return everyday. Walking the same path, going to the same “Cheese Station C” day after day, they find themselves in a routine that never varies. Their lives are identical every day of the week. That is, until their “Cheese” runs out!
Being able to go with the flow and change with the times is the theme of Who Moved My Cheese?, which is a lesson we could all use a refresher on.
Moving on to “Fish!”, we meet the single mother of two named Mary Jane. After she moves to a new location, her husband dies unexpectedly. Now Mary Jane finds herself accepting a promotion to the dreaded “third floor” of the company she works for. Known as the “Toxic Energy Dump” full of zombies, floor three is the butt of almost all the jokes for the employees at First Guarantee Financial. It is Mary Jane’s responsibility and mission to turn her floor into a workplace people want to come to every morning, and she finds the inspiration she needs in an unlikely place – The Fish Market!
Changing your attitude and making each day a good day are the themes found in Fish!.
Now we look at “Whale Done!”. Who would have guessed that the best way to interact with others could be learned at Sea World? That’s right! The trainers at Sea World do not punish these beautiful creatures for doing the wrong thing – they reward the positive things they do instead. The sad thing is people do not often act in this manner with others. We look to criticize, we punish bad behaviors and ignore good ones, and we never look for the positive in others.
Focusing on the positive and redirecting when we see the negative is a better way to create strong relationships, in both the workplace and the home. That is the message in Whale Done! we should remember the next time our child picks up their toys or a co-worker creates an excellent presentation.
The common theme of all of these titles – YOU may be your biggest ally or your worst enemy! The way you think, feel, and act will determine how those around you think, feel, and act towards you.
There is much more found within the covers of these titles. Little snippets of wisdom from “Haw” in “Who Moved My Cheese?”, Mary Jane’s journal entries in “Fish!” and Wes’s notebook in “Whale Done!” make reading these books well worth the time. Individually and as a collection, these works can inspire and enlighten CEOs, managers, employees, and parents everywhere.
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-- Papa Media
10/01/2006
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