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#10yearchallenge - Throwback!

People who know me, know that I am not a social media person; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.. have not been able to hook me up for more than 2 minutes a week. Yeah, that’s about the time I spend there. But recently, a lot of #10years pictures started showing up on these sites by my friends. At first I thought it was just one person’s idea, then realized it’s a challenge and I saw friends shared their picture comparing 10yrs back to today.

It was interesting, seeing all those pics, I realized they had one thing in common - they have changed. Not just in their appearances but their personalities as well. 

I reflected at myself 10 years back, same day, same month; I was in India fighting to keep an almost broken relationship. I remember the days and nights when I felt so pathetic that I never thought I could even pass that phase. I took the decision to move far away from all of it, and I flew to USA. What I went through then was just the beginning of so many challenges I was to see in the following years. 

Today, after 10 years, here I am, writing this blog from Canada; happy with no regrets, no what ifs. I have moved 3 countries in last 10 years, yet never too far away from my past. 

No, I won’t do any photo comparison of mine; would be unfair. I don’t recognize that me from 2009 anymore. A lot in me has changed, a lot around me has changed.

I started 2009 year with a broken heart for the first time. But by 2019, I had learnt to put stitches on my wounds and start every new year with all the happiness I can spread around me. I have learnt to smile no matter what happens. Broken heart doesn’t scare me anymore.

 Journey from 2005 to 2015 or 2008 to 2018 or this 2009 to 2019; they all have been challenging and memorable. All my #10yrs throwback will reveal a big smile for who and where I am today. 

I believe the same applies to you all. That photo from today of yours is not different because the fashion statement has changed or because you have put on or lost few pounds of weight. It’s because life happened to you. I talk, think, behave differently today than how I did then; but my smile is still the same, my heart is still the same, the sense of me is still the same; although everything else has changed.

So enjoy your #10years throwback challenge guys, run down that memory lane,  it’s amazing to see how far we have come in life; yet not far enough to stop; still a long way to go. Hoping to live many more incredible #10year throwback challenges in future!

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