Changes can come in many different ways. It can be done through physical means and by switching up your lifestyle. Changing up your diet can directly impact your visage, which leads to some pretty drastic changes.

This guy was looking to get in shape and lead a more healthy lifestyle, so he chose to switch to a vegan diet. The change in his stature is pretty remarkable and we bet his health is a lot better now!

Sometimes you are born with outsides that don’t match your insides, and to admit that can be very intimidating and scary. So, when someone takes the leap and goes for it, it is not only beautiful to see but also very inspiring. Everyone deserves to be who they are!

This is a perfect example shown above. This woman is now living her best life and while she may be unrecognizable initially, it is evident that she is now her authentic and happy self.

Puberty is a process of physical change that a child’s body goes through when maturing into an adult’s body. Looking at someone in their preteens and then looking at them as a full-grown adult can go one of two ways.

Either they are easy to recognize, or you are like this beautiful woman who changed so much that her middle school friends probably wouldn’t recognize her at all today.

Having a daily routine for your face can make a lot of difference when it comes to skin blemishes. But sometimes, you can’t just rely on soap and water, especially if you suffer from severe acne. So for those that do, many of them look into medicated treatments.

Once the acne starts to clear up, it can be quite the transformation, as you can see by this young woman’s before and after pics. Look how she is glowing with happiness in the picture on the right!

When you are a kid, and you have something different from everyone else, you tend to get teased relentlessly. This girl must have been self-conscious about her ears because she decided to get them pinned back.

The surgery is called otoplasty and is a simple surgery that can help ears that protrude to be more conforming to the skull. She seems to be happy with the change, and she truly does look great!

Once you have gained a large amount of weight, it is a hard uphill battle to try to lose it in a sustainable way. But for your health and lifestyle, it is often a necessary measure that needs to be taken. This woman here shows us that it is possible to achieve this change.

After four years of hard work, she was able to show off her slimmer and happier look. She is so transformed that we couldn’t recognize her at first glance. She seems to have a sense of confidence and lightness to her which is evident in the photo on the right.

Finding your inner peace is all about coming to terms with and accepting who you really are. While this process is daunting and comes with a lot of struggles, both internally and from outside parties, in the end, it is worth it.

This young adult decided that he needed to transform himself and his identity in order to live his truest self. We respect his decision and while he looks unrecognizable today, we can tell that he has found himself and that is inspiring to see.

When you get pregnant, your whole body changes. This can bring some confidence issues to the forefront because it is not always easy to live with these body changes, but it looks like this woman here did a great job of dealing with it.

Excessive weight gain is inevitable when you get pregnant and should actually be embraced. While it is a hard road to lose the baby weight after,  this woman seems to have done it in such a way that you would never know she ever had a baby.

After becoming a teenager, this young woman got some dental work done and opted for some contact lenses. As you can see from the after shot, she is now practically unrecognizable from her preteen self.

While she was a cute kid, she is now a confident young adult who will continue to grow and change as the process of growing up never really ends. But one thing is for sure, no matter how much she changes, she will always be beautiful.

Most people think of plastic surgery as something that only women do, but there are many guys out there that sign off on this change. A lot of people out there are not happy with their chin or nose, and just want to have the look they dream of.

This guy decided to go through with surgery, and the change is incredible as seen here. With the nose and chin reconstructive surgeries, together with a facelift, he looks like a whole new man. We bet he feels like one as well!

Sometimes the changes that one makes are simple and come with the maturing process we all go through in our teens. This young girl was cute when she was a kid but quickly became beautiful when she made those corrective changes.

Choosing to go with contacts and getting her teeth straightened by braces made a lot of difference. Toss in some eyebrow filling, and this is the beautiful finished product!

It is amazing how changing one thing on your face can change so much. That is why so many people look into getting a nose job as it is a focal feature of the face. This young woman had no choice but to operate after she suffered from an injury.

After the nose job, it changed the shape and profile of her face so much that she looks completely like a different person. However, her beautiful and big eyes helped us identify her.

Sometimes in life, there are things that cause us to reach out for survival. Sometimes this is to people, and sometimes that search for a way to cope leads to substances that are not good for us.

Taking those substances out of your life can make all the difference. Just look at this young guy that has now been sober for six months. He has lost weight and looks a lot happier too!

There is a lot of visibility given to eating disorders as they can be dangerous and, if left untreated, could lead to more permanent damage and even death. However, when properly treated, this illness can be fought.

This guy right here fought back and through sheer dedication, he made some significant changes in his life. Now, he looks healthy and is definitely beyond recognition when you make a side-by-side comparison.

Alcohol can be a way to relax, but for some, it becomes an addiction, and that can lead to a bunch of health issues and changes both physically and mentally. So when you come to the realization that it’s time for a cleanse and to stop drinking, the changes are quick to come.

This woman saw that change firsthand just a little over a week after she quit drinking. As you can see here, she lost weight, and her skin has more color in it. Positive changes for sure!

Sometimes the transformation is not through any desire of the person. There are times when people have to undergo emergency surgeries that can alter their appearance. Like this woman here who had a serious infection and ended up being changed forever because of it.

After her tracheotomy surgery, this woman was not only left with a scar but a much thinner neck. This simple change has made her look like a whole different woman. She appears to be joyful and healthy-looking on the left side after her scar has healed up.

Cancer is a horrible disease that does not discriminate when it comes to people. It affects women, men, and kids, and that is why it is so horrific. But there are ways to treat different types of cancer, and sometimes beating it means undergoing a major transformation.

This young woman is now cancer-free and had changed a lot from her time in the hospital. So much so that you would never recognize her if you met her back then. We’re just so happy to see that she is healthy and cancer-free now!

Living a life that you don’t feel comfortable with can affect all aspects of your life, including your mental health. The only way you can fully recover and feel good is if you become the person who you have always known yourself to be. So, that is exactly what this individual did.

With a lot of effort and patience, they were able to make their outside match their true self. Wow, she’s gorgeous and a major inspiration to anyone that feels the same way she did. Here’s to more stories like this!

It might not be fair to use these two images as it looks like the one on the left was candidly snapped when she wasn’t ready. But even with that in mind, the two photos are so vastly different that we wouldn’t have known it was the same person.

While it is evident that this woman lost some weight in the picture on the right, we feel that her new hairstyle is what really made the difference. Hands up for this makeover!

You would be surprised how much changes in just a few short years when you are a kid. You can go from being an underdeveloped yet fun-loving girl to a beautiful and mature young woman very easily. This is the miracle that is puberty.

See, it is not all bad that this young woman took the time to really embrace who she was becoming, and now that little girl (on the left) and she are barely recognizable as being the same person.

Finding your voice and yourself in the process is truly transformational. Not everyone is able to do either of these things, so when someone does, it should be celebrated. Becoming your authentic self is all we can really hope for in this life.

This person changed so much that many of his friends may not recognize him even if they sat down at a table next to him. But wow, look how happy he looks! We can feel his confidence from the picture on the right side.

No matter how much you change and become beyond recognition, sometimes it is hard to pull your mind out of that past self. This can be frustrating and mentally exhausting, but there are ways to combat that.

By sharing your transformation with others and by doing consistent work to love yourself, it won’t matter if anyone but you recognizes yourself. That is what this young lady is learning here!

Making the decision to change your lifestyle so you can lose weight is a big one. The process of shedding pounds is strenuous, both mentally and physically. It also is no overnight process, especially if you do it the right way.

This guy took six years to get to his new and improved self. Now looking at the two images, you can see the hard work and dedication he endured to get to where he is today. While he may be unrecognizable, he is a whole lot healthier!

It can be scary to take the steps that need to be done to let the world see you as you truly are. So making this kind of transformation should be respected and is inspirational to many people who are afraid of becoming their authentic selves.

The change here is so drastic that we are sure there are people that would never recognize that this is the same person. It is a fierce new look for a fierce individual and we commend the change!

Some guys and gals are just born with a baby face that looks forever young. This is not a bad thing, but there are times where you want to look a little more mature. So when that is the case, this is when the transformations begin.

As seen with this guy, with a little facial hair and letting his hair grow out, he fought his youthful look and ended up being a whole different person. He now looks much older and more macho.

Being overweight as a teen can be very challenging. You can, unfortunately, become the target of a lot of name-callings and even bullying. So many young adults that have this problem work very hard to get rid of the extra weight, not only to stop the bullying but to feel better about themselves.

This young woman here is an example of someone who worked to get rid of the weight and gained some confidence with that physical change. In fact, she looks so transformed in the picture on the right that she could pass as a different person.

The teen years are awkward no matter who you are, and that is just a fact and way of life. But as you grow up, and with a little help from a few doctors, you can end up with perfect teeth and good skin that give you a whole different look.

This young woman looks so confident now that she is able to share her transformation with us. It’s crazy to think how a few changes to our features can change our overall face so much!

A new wardrobe and a little time at the gym can go a long way when it comes to somebody’s physical appearance. This guy decided he needed a change and acted according to what he wanted to see in the mirror.

Now, he seems happier and is proud to show off this change. We bet that he has had to reintroduce himself to people he already knew on a few occasions after undergoing this makeover.

Sometimes the changes can simply be done by understanding how to dress your frame and putting on makeup that suits your face. This girl learned pretty quickly that she needed to focus on those beautiful and big blue eyes.

The darker hair, age difference, and change in wardrobe make it hard to see that these two gorgeous women are actually the same person. But that is what change is all about, right?!

It’s amazing how puberty can transform us. Even though you can recognize certain features from when you are younger compared to being older, you are practically a whole new person. Such was the case for this glowing beauty.

Her braces, tied-back hair, and pimples in the photo on the left made her look very sweet and innocent but now she is all grown up and gorgeous! Most importantly, we bet that her loving personality stayed the same.

We love seeing this transformation of this mother and her son. Look how they seem to embrace each other in both photos – we can feel the love from here! And while the mom looks phenomenal no matter her age, it’s the son where we see the biggest difference.

He looks like a grown-up stud on the right but we bet that for his mother, he’ll always be that little baby boy. She’ll need to keep him pretty close to her if she wants to keep all the ladies off him now!

Sometimes we can laugh our socks off by just looking at old photos of our different hairstyles throughout the years. From mushroom cuts to bangs, it’s amazing how these changes in our hair can make us look so unrecognizable.

Take this beautiful girl for example. She took it upon herself to do the 10-year difference challenge and oh boy, has she changed. She clearly isn’t afraid of rocking all sorts of hairstyles and we’ve got to say, we’re loving the pixie cut on her!

We had to take a few moments to analyze this next transformation because we really couldn’t see how this is the same person. Even though we still don’t see the resemblance, we just want to emphasize the fact that this dude is living proof that the awkward teen years don’t last.

We’re pretty sure he’s a model now, judging from the professional picture taken on the right. Plus, just check out his smoldering side profile!

It’s truly amazing to see the difference that a change in clothes can make. That’s precisely what this blonde beauty decided to do when she traded in her tomboyish look for a more fashionable image. Plus, that red lipstick is working wonders.

While we can sort of recognize that it’s the same woman from her face, based on her style, you would never have known. She seems super happy in both photos and we have to say that a smile is the best accessory a person can wear.

We love seeing this transformation of this husband and wife below because it shows us how people blossom and grow their beautiful families. Who would have thought that the two youngsters on the left could rally up a family of seven?

Also, we just have to take a moment to appreciate all five of their precious munchkins – have you ever? We’re on cloud nine here. Okay, enough talk of numbers, let’s just admire the handsome couple both before and after.

Seeing kids turn into grown-ups can require a double-take and such was the case for this beauty here. While we can see in her eyes that it’s the same girl, she really has come into her own and matured into a woman.

Everything from her hair to her fashion has evolved. And as much as we think can see she’s a total looker today, we still think she made for an adorable baby girl.

We would probably have never guessed that this was the same dude. From his newfound ripped body to his cool crop of hair, he’s totally different from his younger days. We’re going to pin him as an inspiration to us all.

A lot of us went through those awkward teen years and his transformation just goes to show that you can grow into your features and learn to love yourself from the inside and out.

‘Boss’ was the first word that came to mind when we saw this woman on the right-hand side. Just check out how she confidently crosses her hands whilst smirking into the camera – she knows she’s the coolest. And while she looks happy in her earlier days, we can feel the difference in her gaze.

There’s just nothing more attractive than seeing a fierce woman owning it and that is exactly what this boss lady is serving up post-transformation.

A blonde ambition refers to a woman longing to be blonde and having that confidence that comes with their new hairstyle, but as you can see here, this freckled blonde beauty opted for something different.

Not only does her bright pink pixie cut make her look unrecognizable,  but her makeup as well. We can no longer see her freckles on the right side and her style reflects a more gothic look. Talk about a change!

Life choices sometimes are the catalyst for rapid transformation. For this guy, that life choice was joining the military. The consistent exercise and portioning of food that goes on in the service obviously helped him to shed the rest of the weight.

This may not be the right choice for everyone, but it is a solid choice for some. If this happens to be the case for you too, just make sure that when you get to go home, you let your family know, so they don’t think some stranger is walking into their house.

We have all been told at some time or another that we will grow out of an uncomfortable phase. That is a common message that is relayed when you are in those awkward teen years. When we’re still in that phase, we resent being told this by our parents.

However, they usually prove to be right, and this guy’s transformation is proof of it. As he grew up, he also let his hair and beard grow. He is now an unrecognizable, new and trendy person!

When you are in the army service, there is not a lot of glamour that goes on. In fact, most militaries don’t allow a lot of excess makeup or cosmetics. So, now that this woman is out of her service and seems to have gotten a few years older, she looks very different!

It’s amazing how a uniform and minimal makeup can make someone look so disguised. She looks all grown up and happy since her army duty and we’re delighted to see it!

All of us come into the world with our own set of features. We have a certain eye color and hair color as well, but sometimes we need to change up our look to accentuate certain assets. This girl decided that she wanted to undergo a few minor changes and it made all the difference.

After a good facial cleansing routine was implemented, she changed her hair color and learned how to do her signature makeup. These three simple changes transformed her look immensely. While she looks lovely and happy in both, we can see that she is all grown up in the second picture.

Often when we are teens and even young adults, we still carry some baby weight. But that can be fixed if we eat right and get in some daily physical activity. With just these two healthy habits, you can trim and alter your physique hugely.

This young man decided he wanted to lead a healthier lifestyle by adding in some football and frequent trips to the gym. These changes to his routine have made him look unrecognizable today. He looks super fit and grown-up nowadays!

On a peaceful evening, after they had tucked their kids into bed, Kathy and Brandon sat outside on their deck to enjoy some drink and a little quality time together. As their conversation proceeded, they started to discuss the upcoming wedding of two of their friends at Kalamazoo, where the couple had met and went to college. One sentence led to another, and soon, memories brought back a 10-year-old topic, along with some unresolved mysteries.

Kathy and Brandon were excited about the upcoming wedding, but they were also equally happy to go back to the place where they had first met and fallen for each other. They were deliberating on what to get their friends, which reminded them of a particular present they had gotten when they embarked on the journey of spending their lives together. The question was – why was this gift still unopened? What was stopping them from unwrapping a present for an entire decade?

Seeing that they hadn’t opened the present for so long, anyone would assume that the couple had forgotten about it altogether, or had lost track of where it was. However, since they were discussing it after all that time had passed, it became clear that it was no ordinary gift that they were disinterested in. The reason they never unwrapped the gift was that it had come with very specific instructions.

As the happily married couple considered what present to pick for their soon-to-be wedded friends, talk turned to the much-coveted wedding gift they had received, which was still to be opened. They began reminiscing the memories of their special day. Kathy and Brandon had exchanged vows on the first of September, 2007, with 300 friends and family members celebrating their love. They had been given a bunch of amazing presents by their guests, but there was one that stood out from the bunch.

Kathy’s beloved great aunt Alison was the person behind the gift. In more ways than one, her’s was a quite unusual and fascinating gift. It wasn’t just the packaging that was unique, it was also the message she had penned on top of the envelope. This message was enough to stop the couple from opening the gift for about a decade. What could the message read that had such an impact on Brandon and Kathy?

The present had been with them for a considerably long time, to say the least. As they continued discussing their friends’ future wedding and a potential gift, the couple realized that both of their minds kept wondering back to the one particular present sitting in their closet – the same as 10 years ago. Kathy said on Love What Matters, “The gift that meant the very most was still sitting in a closet… unopened.” “Do Not Open Until 1st Disagreement” – the warning-type message was written on the present.

Resisting the urge to open the present and abide by the instructions for 10 years is another level of impressive. Did Auntie Alison actually expect them to hold onto it for that long, or was she thinking they’d laugh away the message and unwrap it right after they got their hands on it? Regardless of her intentions, Kathy and Brandon took the message much literally. On top of that, there was another reason they wouldn’t reach out for that present.

Some couples get along so well that they rarely have fights, but to not have any disagreements for 10 whole years? Let’s be honest – that’s way too unrealistic. So, had Kathy and Brandon really went a decade without arguing? If not, why didn’t they just rip apart the paper and see what the present was? Kathy said to My Daily magazine that much like any normal marriage, theirs had its fair share of stress and obstacles. If they wanted to, they could’ve opened it long back; but they held back.

Time went on, and so did Kathy and Brandon’s lives together. The couple welcomed their first child Gracie in 2011, and the second one Garrett just two years later in 2013. They became engrossed in their lives and enjoyed time as a family, celebrating the blessings of life. Within this time, the presence of the gift took a backseat as they concentrated on raising their kids. It wasn’t until much later when they discovered that they were still to know the secrets the gift hid.

At this point, everyone reading this is probably getting impatient and wondering, “Will they ever open the gift?” The same thought came to a person who was incredibly close to the couple, and they decided to ask Kathy and Brandon what they did with the gift. It was none other than Auntie Alison – the original giver of the intriguing gift. Was speaking to her going to reveal some clues about the gift?

Kathy’s relationship with her great aunt Alison was amazing. She even considered her almost like a “surrogate grandmother”. When Auntie Alison inquired about the gift, Kathy and Brandon had to come clean about what happened to it. They informed her that despite their arguments, they had never actually gotten to opening the present. Kathy joked to ABC News that her aunt thought she was crazy. The couple’s hesitation in opening the gift became a funny topic in the family, but there was one person less than amused.

The majority of the family members found it rather hilarious that Kathy and Brandon had taken the instructions so much to heart, but one relative’s concerns outweighed the entertainment. The person was Kathy’s mother, who had some typical mom questions about their reluctance. She said that her mother worried that the present could contain food, or something perishable. The couple agreed with her and contacted Auntie Alison regarding the contents inside the gift, who confirmed there weren’t any food items in it. The question still stood – what on earth was in the box?

Much prior to Kathy and Brandon’s marriage, her great aunt Alison had tied the knot with her beloved partner – Uncle Bill, as the family affectionately called him. Aunt Alison and Uncle Bill had a blessed marriage for about half a century before he sadly passed away in 2004, leaving the family heartbroken. Receiving a gift from someone who had managed to capture the very essence of a happy marriage meant a lot of the couple. Did the box contain some of Uncle Bill’s secrets to a blissful union?

After the saddening demise of Uncle Bill, all that was left of him was the memories of how pleased he was with his married life. As a result, the couple felt even more pressed to wait for the best moment before they could unravel the present. The couple didn’t wish to open what could potentially be a very special gift at a negative moment. However, was this really the only thing preventing them from doing so?

Time passed on, and it became increasingly difficult for Kathy and Brandon to get themselves to open the envelope. Since they had waited that long, it felt as if they needed a reason significant enough to validate them opening it. The two of them asked each other multiple times – what were they waiting for? Did they feel like they needed to achieve something before they could open it to maximize the impact of the gift?

The box had been with them for a while, and they did want to open it. Even though it had piqued their interests, the mystery had been sewn into their everyday lives and became somewhat of a comforting element. What scared Kathy and Brandon was that opening the box would surely solve the mystery as to what it held, but it would take away the exciting factor of guessing and wondering.

A key reason behind the couple not wanting to open the present wasn’t because they would never argue. It was because every time they did have an argument, they would evaluate whether it was enough of a disagreement to justify unwrapping it. Kathy said in Love What Matters that her Great Uncle Bill used to say, “nothing is ever so bad that it couldn’t get worse.” It forced the couple to reassess their situation every time and question whether they “needed” the help of the box.

Since neither one of them was sure what the magnitude of an argument should be to justify opening the present, it became almost a competition to see who would cave first and reach out for it. What could have been a simple pull of the ribbon became a battle of wills to decide who had the most control over their anger and more resilience in an argument that would compel them to turn to the box.

Maybe it could have been just another night when they deliberated about the gift, had a little laugh, and went along with their lives, but it was special. Reminiscing the old days made them have a united epiphany. They could open the present that night – not to validate any recent argument, but because they knew they had reached a point where they could argue rationally and release their anger in a healthy way. The momentous time had arrived. Little did they know, they weren’t ready for the items inside.

After 10 curiosity-filled years, and driving the rest of the family half mad with anticipation, the couple declared that the moment they were waiting for had finally arrived – they were going to open THE present. Taking it out of the closet, the couple revealed the contents. What it had inside brought tears to their eyes – tears of joy and emotions. Kathy said they had expected it would be a long letter describing the struggles that Alison and Bill had gone through, but it was so much more than that.

The mystery wasn’t a mystery anymore. Inside the hamper, Aunt Alison had packed a collection of goodies and advice she thought the couple would be able to put to good use after they had their first argument. There were two cash gifts worth a total of $200, each wrapped with notes – one for Kathy, one for Brandon. Kathy instructed her to get something they both enjoyed, while Brandon’s one asked him to get flowers and a bottle of wine. However, the gifts’ meanings ran deeper than it seemed.

The truth was that even though the gifts were meaningful, and the message very sweet, those weren’t the things that helped the couple sustain their relationship. The mystery and suspense of the unspecified present? Not that either. The will power they had displayed, and the constant feeling that they must carefully analyze the situation meant that their connection was strong enough to withstand some of the most destructive obstacles. They had assumed that the box would “save” them, and in some ways, it did.

Blown away by the contents of the box, Kathy called up her Aunt Alison to express her gratitude for the thoughtful present, although, deep down, they knew that the gift’s value greatly surpassed the treats. The couple realized that the secret behind a healthy marriage was hidden in the gift, it was inside them all along, waiting to be recognized. Kathy indicated that it taught them understanding, tolerance, compromise, and patience.

Wondering how Aunt Alison reacted to the couple revealing they had finally opened her gift? According to Kathy, her aunty was “flabbergasted”, and “tickled”. She thought it was the cutest and funniest because she couldn’t believe that the couple would actually hold onto for 10 years! The happy couple’s diligence to keeping their relationship strong and their love for each other intact greatly inspired Aunt Alison. Little did they know, Kathy and Brandon’s story would inspire many more apart from their own family.

Aunt Alison was shocked by the couple’s dedication and amazed at their resilience. However, she was extremely candid as she explained how completely mad she had considered the couple for taking her wedding gift challenge that seriously. Kathy smiled as she said that Aunt Alison thought it was a great story, but she was also astonished by their plans to leave the gift unopened for a decade. Aunt Alison had managed to leave a much larger impact than what she had expected.

Kathy and Brandon were aware that a lot of people thought that they had taken things too far with the gift sitting in the closet for 10 years, unopened; but no one could deny the commendable self-control and logic they had shown to follow up with the plan. The couple stated that the primary reason they didn’t turn to the box was that it would symbolize they had probably failed in their marriage, and they just couldn’t live with that.

The more Kathy and Brandon thought about the gift, the more layers they unveiled about it. In an interview with My Daily Magazine, Kathy said that the items were meant to bring her and her husband closer, to remind them why they wanted to be together. It also taught them that they needed to lower their guard when they were going through a rough patch and prioritize caring for the other person.

From the many things they had learned on their marital journey, Kathy and Brandon decided to share their story with the rest of the world, hoping to bring a fresh perspective to the table. They wanted to share their experience on marriage, and the unexpected benefits the lighthearted gift brought them. The couple stated that the gift acted as a guide to remind them to constantly stick together and work through their problems.

Kathy and Brandon weren’t the kind to sit around acting smug about their amazing feats at staying in a healthy marriage and keeping the romance alive. Hoping to help a few others with their issues, Kathy published her story on Facebook page Love What Matters. To her surprise, within moments, the story went viral – garnering more than 14,000 likes, and considerable shares. The couple became a hot topic with multiple news outlets super keen on getting an interview with them.

The amazing couple remains thankful for the many blessings and lessons their marriage brought them. They hope their story will influence couples to rethink their issues when they’re in a tight spot. Kathy too thought that when they would be in a huge conflict, the box would save them, when, all along, it was their responsibility to handle their marriage. The couple’s love for each other and their willingness to constantly grow is truly beautiful.