Change for the Better

By Derek Tahara | He/Him/His

Change is all around us, whether we like it or not. This year, in 2020, change has been all around us and has turned the world upside down —

almost literally into the Upside Down from “Stranger Things,” with the coronavirus ravaging economies, health care systems, and lives.

Impermanence is one of the most fundamental teachings of Buddhism. It reminds us how everything in our lives changes — constantly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States is above 13 million cases and a shade above 266,000 deaths from the coronavirus.

It is because of this virus that schools, businesses, companies, counties, states, and countries have had to adapt to the worst health crisis in over a century. Due to this change, we have had to rethink our priorities, which includes the health and safety of not just ourselves, but of others around us. This dives into another Buddhist concept, which is compassion. Even if you don’t want to wear a mask, think about other people and their families who could be affected by this act of selfishness.

Impermanence affects us individually as well.

One of the biggest changes I’ve gone through this year is receiving a ptosis correction, which means I had eyelid surgery, where the doctor made a couple of slight incisions above my eye and stitched it up. Now, when I slightly raise my eyebrow, my eye will rise. It feels good to finally get the surgery done after waiting my whole life for it. I can see better and it feels good to have two “normal-looking” eyes.

Whether it’s from a pandemic, a physical change or a new perspective, change helps us grow, develop and adapt into better human beings, whether we know it or not.