It was the kiss on the cheek that got me.  Twice.

Yes, winter is here…the Minneapolis temperatures are hovering around 20 degrees F.  Daylight has been rapidly decreasing and we’re definitely cocooning against the intense cold.  Very few people would describe the onset of winter as happy. (Especially the golfers.)

And yet the buzz right now is brightly positive and happy.  Can you feel it?  There’s something magical about the days sandwiched between Thanksgiving and the New Year.  Even the most routine business meetings have an extra happy intensity.  In the traditional mix of personal/professional “How are you doing?” questions…we spend more time on the “personal” side.  Over breakfast last week, my most intense get-to-the-point client stopped to ask about my holiday plans.  And he actually listened to my answer. When I asked him…he actually answered, and he smiled.  We both were both just a little bit more happy than usual.

But it was the two kisses on the cheek that caused me to write this note.  Twice in 24 hours, two different business women ended a warm hug with a quick, very professional peck on my cheek.  Seriously, I’m not that handsome.  And I don’t have anything extra to give this year.  But I will admit, both conversations were happy — we spent most of our discussion on the personal side, counting our blessings and thinking ahead about our holiday plans.  Happiness. Warm hug. Kiss on the cheek.

Darn it!  Why aren’t we this happy all year round?  Our own experience will tell us that within a couple weeks, cocooning after the New Year typically causes the opposite affect.  The nasty stuff in the daily news we ignore during the holidays starts to make a more caustic impression on our lives. And the cold is colder.

Just to be clear, I’m not asking for a peck on the cheek from every warm business meeting hug.  But I do think we can help one another stay grateful and happier as a part of our daily, non-holiday routine.

Here’s my favorite strategy for lively, happier conversations: instead of asking “How are you doing?” why not ask: “What are you doing for fun these days?” Fun is one of the most powerful Seven Fs — when we are having lots of fun, the other Fs (Faith, Family, Finances, Fitness, Friends and Future) seem to be more lively in our life. It is especially powerful if lots of your fun comes through your work.

What ideas do you have to share about how to help us all stay happier all year round?  I would love to share them.