What recording 1 second every day over a year taught me

January 1st 2022 Steph was very sad after struggling to get through the night before. A personal event on the 30th of December shredded me emotionally. I have to commend my friends, my love for them is infinite, and instead of forcing me to be present for the entire night, gave me the space I needed and let me just exist around them. The roused me for midnight fireworks and I ended up staying up a little bit more.

I decided 2022 was the year I choose myself and that I would find actual happiness. It was very fake it until I make it that first month of the year.

I decided to do two things to be happy. I started doing gratitude journaling, finding 3 things to be grateful for everyday, and I decided to film 1 second everyday so I would have a recap of the year. I was influenced by seeing people's 1 second everyday videos so I thought I'd give it a go.

I decided to use the 1se app on iOS because I could set up notifications to remind me everyday to take a second. And while I remembered most days to grab a quick snippet, I could still drop a photo in from the day (I take a lot of photos) if I forgot.

What I learned #

I didn't have this realization until the last month or so, but taking time to capture 1 second out of everyday, even on the most horrible days of my year, meant that there was still some bit of joy to find in every single day of the year.

Choosing to find happiness in each day is a choice. You have to make that decision for yourself. You can try and chase all the things that you think will make you happy.

It sounds a bit cheesy and I know a million people before have said it. But you have to choose happiness to find it. Things that make you happy are fleeting and are there one minute and then gone the next. It's beyond those moments that you have to choose happiness.

Am I happier now than last year? #

Yes. I am. My perspective has changed drastically in the last year. I had some pretty awful moments this year...like putting my dog who was 14 down with my ex-husband. Diagnosed with bipolar depression, which was scary at first but now it all makes sense.

I chose me in 2022. And I chose happiness. Even if I had to fake it for a month.

Here's to the next 365 seconds of 2023 and finding joy in simple moments. Who knows what's bound to come.