Today is the first day of the rest of my life, and I'm going to take advantage of it. I don't know what happened to me, but something is moving me to take control of my life and strive for happiness and accomplishment instead of whatever else was driving me before. I'm a new girl, ladies and gentlemen.

This morning on the drive to work, even though traffic on North Avenue was insufferable and the overcast sky wasn't letting a single ray of sunshine through, I was happy. I was happy that I live in an amazing city full of amazing people, that I have the most wonderful husband a girl could ask for, happy that I'm healthy and able, that I have a great extended family, and that my new pants fit perfectly. I drove with my windows down, listened to nostalgic music, sipped my coffee, and watched as nearly 90% of my fellow commuters traveled in their hermetically sealed cars with bored looks on their faces, only breaking their glossy stares for angry scowls at the traffic. I didn't take my customary shortcut today, I smiled at the guy selling newspapers in the street, and I let a CTA bus merge in front of me. Somebody stop me, I'm on a roll.

I'm going to start going for what I want instead of waiting for it to come to me. I'm ready for change. I'm thrilled with my life right now, I have everything I've ever wanted and then some, and I'm ready to take advantage of it and appreciate every moment.

I'm a little exhausted from all of this self-reflection and emotional probing. Time for a doughnut.