Although there was once a time where it was hard to even fathom 10 years passing in our lives, it gets easier and easier to lose track of that happening as we get older.
Part of that has to do with the common feeling that time goes by faster as we get older, but it also comes down to how many of us live our lives. While we can certainly deal with major changes in our lives, those changes tend to manifest themselves in gradual ways.
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We will also often have immediate concerns from day to day that make it easy for us to forget about what life will be like for us in the long term.
So it makes sense that as another decade comes to an end, people might feel inclined to look back and note how much their lives have changed over the past 10 years.
The idea to post these “decade” photos came from Twitter user @MusingsOfAGirl, who started things off with her own photos.
Depending on our ages, many of us might not notice such a world of difference between ourselves at opposite ends of this decade.
Aging isn’t the only way that people change, however.
For this reason, some of the people who replied decided to give us hints about what to look for.
For instance, this woman revealed why her hair seems like it has more bounce now than it did in 2010.
Most of the time, we can clearly see the difference if our starting point for comparison takes place in our teenage years.
There is something pretty satisfying about seeing our own glo-ups after surviving that awkward phase in our lives.
Sometimes the changes are small, but that doesn’t mean they don’t make a difference.
And sometimes, the changes we make can actually make us seem younger than when we started.
It doesn’t always happen, but it can be surprising when it does.
Although some changes can be quite clear, others are completely invisible.
Although Ryan here seems to have underwent a significant transition over the last 10 years, he also shared his achievements over the same period.
And honestly, the growth in mental stability alone is worth celebrating.
This is a good reminder that it’s not always about how much you changed, but who you went through those changes with.
By a similar token to this man, I’m not even sure I’d want to know what I look like without a beard. I started growing it soon before I went to high school and never looked back.
Although this likely isn’t the only change this woman went through, it’s probably the first one people would notice.
And based on the replies she’s been getting after posting this, it seems as though chucking out the hair dye has been working out well for her.
Although this person definitely addressed the most important change in her decade, she also picked an interesting starting point.
And the worst part is that we’re not supposed to ask about it. You can’t just say you dressed as a maggoty apple and expect people not to get curious.
This comparison goes a long way to show that somebody’s whole vibe can change as much as their look does.
Although the 2011 photo could be showing him at an uncharacteristically awkward moment, he definitely seems a lot more cool and confident nowadays.
This woman’s choice in an after photo was interesting, but I’m not sure how well it reflects how she’s changed.
I’ll admit that I don’t know her, but it still seems fairly unlikely that she goes around dressed as Tupac Shakur every day.
When many of us look back at ourselves in the 2000s, there’s a strong likelihood that we’ll be reminded of our old emo styles.
Even though that’s clearly not something she embraces as much nowadays, I’d be surprised if wasn’t at least a little excited about My Chemical Romance getting back together.
As we can see, this man gained a lot more than he lost over the last decade.
And if I’m correct and the hair loss was the result of a donation, that good cause has a great deal of relevance in his life.
I’ve got to say, the decision to pick the most unflattering photo from the past as possible is a good strategy.
After all, not only does it help us stand out among all the other transformations, but it helps to make our current selves look even better.
From the sounds of it, this woman has found herself in much happier times lately.
Being a nerd with a solid group of friends is definitely an underrated existence. Even putting that aside, it sounds like she’s never without some companionship.
Not only is it pretty enviable to see someone be able to pursue their passions like this, but it really shows how far she’s come.
This gives us hope in a couple of ways, but especially for the reason that getting typecast as a plate seems like a hard road to walk.
It’s not often that we can actually chart the change in someone’s life by how easy it is to see them.
Not only has this man appeared to come into his own style nicely, but he actually has a camera capable of making that clear now. That always helps.
It’s nice to see that as this person changed, she did so among some good friends.
While she certainly looks more elegant and mature in the newer photo, that first one is pretty adorable.
Sometimes, the changes don’t take a lot of explanation.
Although I really like the idea of him not so much cutting his hair as “moving it around a bit.”
The younger we were when the decade starts, the more our changes since can take us by surprise.
I wonder if this kid would have guessed that he’d be so muscular 10 years down the line.
At the same time, I’m half expecting his answer to be, “Sure, you have to be when you’re an astronaut, which I obviously will be.”
It’s clear that this person had quite a journey, but it’s relieving to see how they’ve fared on the other side of it.
Finding a healthier place in life is already quite an accomplishment after accepting your truth, but that goes double if you can actually say your life is altogether happier.
