Workshop offers ways to cope with change

Camp Pendleton’s Marine Corps Family Team Building (MCFTB) offers programs to help service members and their families cope with the constant change that the military brings.

“Who Moved My Cheese,” an international bestselling book written by Spencer Johnson about dealing with change, inspired the MCFTB to create a class that can help the attendees understand change and learn valuable skills that allow them to face change with less stress and more success.

“Often times we put ourselves in ‘boxes’ that we think we belong in,” said Miguel Juarez, life skills program trainer and course instructor, MCFTB. “We get caught in the middle of our own assessment and only think about ourselves as one particular way.”

The course, also titled “Who Moved My Cheese,” gives service members and their families an opportunity to re-assess their current ways of coping with change and figuring out which of the four change skills they possess to avoid “boxing” themselves in.

This metaphorical story is about people learning the importance of focusing on the cheese, which are the “results” or a person’s goals in life, while searching for it through a maze that symbolizes “life.”

Throughout the story, the characters recognize the steps of change by referring to the search of the cheese—the first step being “change happens,” or “they keep moving the cheese,” and eventually realizing that they need to “enjoy the change,” or “savor the adventure and enjoy the taste of the new cheese.”

According to the book and MCFTB’s course, individuals can identify themselves as being in one of four “change skill” categories: Skill 1, anticipating change; Skill 2, Taking new actions now; Skill 3, moving beyond fear; and Skill 4, imagining real success.

“After everyone figures out which skill they are, the goal is to determine your level of change readiness, anticipation and energy,” said Juarez. “Once you have a better understanding of yourself, it helps you see certain strengths that can help you succeed in changing situations.”

The author of the book said, too often we don’t notice that the cheese has moved, or we believe that the cheese should stay put; but these “old beliefs don’t lead you to new cheese.”

For additional information, call MCFTB at (760) 725-9052.

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