Most of us are not afraid of trying new things; we just don’t make it a priority. Then, when we do try something new and realize how positive the experience was, we often kick ourselves for not having done it sooner. Trying new things enriches our lives in a number of ways:  It allows us to learn and grow while adding a dimension fun and excitement. It also broadens our perspective and gives us a lot more to talk about in our conversations with others. So, if you want to avoid the “blahs” and make sure that you don’t fall into a rut this coming year, make it a New Year’s resolution to try something new at least once a month and preferably once a week. I’m talking about things like trying a new restaurant, brightening the day of a stranger, baking something from “scratch,” trying a new food, volunteering at a soup kitchen or taking that class that you’ve always wanted to take.  If you do this, you’ll find life to be a richer, fuller and happier experience. Just for the record, I tried Swiss chard recently at a friend’s house after actively avoiding it my entire life–it was fantastic! The same thing happened last year with sweet potatoes and kale–and the list goes on.