The Sublime Second - 2015
After two straight years of recording a second each day with my iPhone, I am still very much excited about this project. Most people don't understand why or how I still do it and occasionally I ask myself as well. So, after some thought, here are the 5 main reasons I'm glad I discovered this app:
Time is an illusion: Einstein argued that the distinction between past, present and future is merely an illusion. I'm no physicist but I do know that we all have limited time on Earth and it's all spent in the present.
We can't experience the past. If we didn't have memories or highly sophisticated brains, time wouldn't even matter to us. Instead, we often view it as one of our most precious resources commenting on "how quickly time flies..." and how small our footprint of time really is, demonstrated creatively here in this video.
With all the uncertainties surrounding time itself, being able to relive each day of my life helps to make time more constant and measurable. But, rather than measuring just by time, 1SE helps to measure my life in events, relationships, activities and other memories -- whether they are happy, sad or boring.
Moments are not forgotten: Our lives can be interpreted by the sum of our all memories, yet we often forget what we did 1 week, 2 weeks, or even a couple days ago. So many days go by that we won't have any recollection of at all, as if they never happened. It's amazing how a 1 second clip from even two years ago triggers my memory and puts me right back in that moment as if it just happened. These videos have helped me remember at least one small part of every single day since I started.
It encourages excitement: Recording daily videos has helped me focus more on things I find interesting. If a day passes and I haven't recorded a video, I feel more motivated to do or see something that makes me happy. Yes, sometimes I do I find myself more focused on recording a clip rather than living in the moment. But, as long as it helps me create and remember moments that would not have otherwise existed, I'm ok with it.
But also maintains reality: Many days consist of the same routine and unfortunately not every day of my life can be filled with excitement. It is always tempting to skip days where all I did was eat, work and sleep but those are very integral parts of life and can't just be ignored. I'm guilty of only posting glamorous photos on Facebook and Instagram, painting a distorted view of my life. This project leaves little room for reality distortion.
After listening to this thought provoking excerpt from Tim Kreider's "We Learn Nothing," I try to avoid making claims that I am "too busy" for somebody, something or even myself. His point is that in most cases, being so busy is a personal choice and is seen as a badge of honor in today's society. But most of what we are doing that causes us to be so busy doesn't really even matter! These videos quickly give me a sense of just how "busy" I'm making myself and help me find the right balance between busy and relaxed. It also makes it hard to claim I'm too busy with something when the seconds consistently show otherwise.
Personal reflection: This interesting post helps to visualize the lifetime of a 90 year old human and the potential time we have left for certain activities or relationships. It is frightening since you can fit an entire life on just one piece of paper, but it's a reminder that our lives are limited and you must appreciate each day. However, appreciation requires an understanding of what you actually value in life which is best determined through personal reflection.
I don't usually spend much time reflecting on the type of person I am or have become, but watching year summaries of my life certainly triggers a moment of self-evaluation. There are clear trends that I can easily pinpoint after watching the videos of my last two years such as who I'm with, what I do on weekends, where I travel, how often I'm at work, a bar or the gym. I'm not sure how long I will continue with 1SE, but as long as I can justify these reasons I won't quit anytime soon. The sublime second helps me appreciate the concept of time as an endless gift of challenge and opportunity.