Today I Sit Here, INSPIRED.

The "pound the keyboard" type of inspired.

The "turn your MUSIC UP" kind of inspired.

There is so much to say, to think, to feel, to let go of that I can hardly type fast enough.

I don't know if you are as inspired yet to begin 2011 fresh, refreshed or renewed as I am but I want you to be because the feeling is simply INCREDIBLE.

The feeling of wanting to move forward and leap tall buildings in a single bound and purge all the ugly to make room for the beautiful is overwhelming this morning and it couldn't come at a better time. (i'm not sure if you can see the speedofmywordsornot, canyou?)

Last night we spent New Year's eve with friends and the kids and a song came on that reduced me to running for the bathroom (secretly) in tears.

"A Long December" by Counting Crows.

It hit a nerve because for me, GODDAMMIT it was A LONG DECEMBER.

And if there is any family member of mine reading this now, I am sure you will agree with me that this by far was the longest December ever; long and hard and full of every emotion imagineable and the nerve that it hit was that right then, last night, December was finally going to be OVER. Finally, December was going to be over.

The longest month in the world, OVER.

OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And a chance to begin again was upon me and last night, in my friend's bathroom (with a tiny little hand knocking at the door wanting to get in to find me), I let it all go in one heaving sobbing goodbye to 2010 cry.

And it felt good.

Hello, 2011. Hello January.

As I dragged myself out of bed this morning to go to a spin class with my tri friends which I almost didn't do because I couldn't open my eyes for the longest time and almost pulled the covers right back over my head and ignored the alarm, I started to feel alive again.

I turned up the music in the car.

I got to spin class which felt like just another spin class at first.

And we spun through songs, songs about moving on, songs about saying goodbye to fear and weakness, songs about making life happen, and finally, spinning to Auld Lang Syne which you would never in a million years believe how powerful that song in a spin class at that moment could be but I took a moment to cry into my tiny towel discreetly as I pumped my legs and felt 2010 leaving my body.

Goodbye, long December.

Goodbye, 2010 with all of your ups and downs and teaching moments. I'm glad to have had our time together, but I'm ready for something new now.

Today as I begin 2011 with my first spin class of the year under my belt and the year laid out before me, I issue this challenge to you: DO SOMETHING, ANYTHING, harder, faster, longer, and with more passion that you ever had in your life and do it TODAY. Hell, GO DO IT RIGHT NOW!

Begin 2011 with everything inside of you!

Go put your sneakers on or turn up the music, I don't care if it's DANCING IN YOUR LIVING ROOM AS HARD AS YOU CAN! Anything to make yourself feel alive and do it TODAY! Do not wait another minute to start fresh and new and say goodbye to anything else you don't want in your life! You wanna tweet it? TWEET IT! #kickassin11. Blog about it! Inspire people and do it RIGHT NOW!

I left spin class and turned the music back up in my car. I got home and turned up the music in my house and danced with my little baby until he said, "Mommy, I don't wanna dance anymore, I want some applesauce," and then with the music still loud and playing, I made my coffee and pounded on the keyboard.

I AM ALIVE TODAY!

And it is good.