People get frustrated about so many things — marriage, work, family, community, the daily commute. Scroll through social media and you’ll see endless complaints: about taxes, neighbors, traffic, food, or safety. Sometimes it feels like the default lens we use to see the world is tinted with dissatisfaction.

We hear more about depression, anxiety, even tragic stories that remind us how fragile our mental health can be. But this summer, after witnessing a few things around me, I realized happiness still quietly surrounds us — like the oxygen in a forest, or the soft breeze by a stream. It’s always there if we pause enough to feel it.

The Chocolate on the Train

One afternoon on a high-speed train, I was busy checking emails, fighting the unstable internet connection. The page kept loading endlessly, and I found myself refreshing over and over, feeling more anxious by the second.

Then, behind me, I heard a little boy whisper to his mom,
 “Mom, can we eat the chocolate?”

She didn’t respond right away, so he asked again — same question, same hopeful tone. Finally, she said yes.

The boy turned to his sister, full of joy:
 “Mom said yes! We can eat the candy!”

The two of them giggled, compared flavors — one had strawberry, one had peach — and unwrapped their treats like it was the happiest moment in the world.

I couldn’t help but smile. I stopped refreshing my inbox, opened my own snack — a dried plum — and looked out the window. The green fields flashed by, peaceful and alive. That small moment of sweetness stayed with me.

Now, whenever I feel stressed, I open a piece of chocolate and remember that little brother and sister on the train. Their joy reminds me that happiness can be as simple as a piece of candy.

The Breakfast Juice

Another morning, we were traveling through a small town, staying in a modest hotel that served a complimentary breakfast. The food was… okay — sausages, pancakes, some fruit. Most people, including me, were scrolling on their phones, eating without much enthusiasm.

Then I heard two little girls at the next table.

“I love the apple juice! Do you?” one said.
 Her sister replied, “I love the orange juice more!”

They went back and forth comparing which juice was better, giggling with delight. Their parents just said “hmm,” not quite understanding the excitement over bottled juice.

But those two bright faces lit up the entire breakfast room. While everyone else was mechanically eating, they were savoring joy. And suddenly, that ordinary moment didn’t feel so ordinary anymore.

The Bubble Tea Team

Before flying back to Canada this summer, I finally visited a beauty salon in Guangzhou. I had bought a 10-session package last year, but never had the time to use it. The manager kindly arranged a few appointments even when I was running late from family dinners.

During one visit, I chatted with a young esthetician who always seemed cheerful. I asked her, “You’ve been working here for five years — what makes you so happy about your job?”

She smiled and said, “Our team supports each other. Even when someone is fined for being late, we use the fine money to buy bubble tea together that month!”

She laughed as she listed her favorite flavors — mango, grape, mocha — each word bubbling with joy. Then she told me how, after work, the team would go out for late-night snacks: hotpot, BBQ, street food — simple things that filled their lives with laughter and happiness.

Her happiness was contagious. Before I flew out, I ordered six cups of bubble tea for their team through a local delivery app. The manager sent me a photo of everyone smiling and wrote, “Thank you so much — this made our day!”

Their happiness made me happy.

My Son and His Little Cousins

My son met his little cousins this summer — one is three, the other five. One day, he told me he wanted to join my brother to pick them up from kindergarten.

Before they went, I suggested he buy some snacks, just like I used to when he was in kindergarten — maybe a yogurt and a small bag of fruit candy. He went to the convenience store and came back with his favorites: two sweet milk drinks for kids, two small bags of fruit candy, and two little packs of shrimp chips.

When they picked up the little cousins, the kids climbed into the car, sanitized their hands, and then spotted the snacks. Their eyes widened in surprise — three treats each! My brother often forgot to bring any snacks, so this was an unexpected delight.

They thanked my son, grinning from ear to ear, and laughed all the way home. I noticed my son smiling too, joining their laughter and, for a little while, forgetting about his homework and assignments.

Happiness spreads — sometimes through something as small as a bag of shrimp chips.

The Chase

Sometimes I wonder: why do adults become less happy as we grow up?

Maybe it’s because life becomes more complicated. We chase goals, achievements, and perfection. We forget the sweetness of small things.

As parents, many of us chase opportunities for our children — not always the ones they love, but the ones that look good on decent private school or university applications.

A friend told me her husband offered free chess classes in their neighborhood. Many kids loved it, but when the lessons became paid, most parents didn’t sign up. “Chess won’t help them get into a top school,” they said.

Instead, they enrolled their children in leadership programs, sports teams, or music lessons that fit the model of what decent private schools or universities prefer — not necessarily what the kids enjoy.

When happiness is measured by resumes, it’s no wonder it feels harder to find.

My Rules of Happiness

So what’s the secret? I don’t think there’s a formula. But here are my simple rules:

• Enjoy small moments — the food, the movie, the walk, the laughter. Don’t wait for the “big three-year goal” to feel joy.
  

• Don’t overthink it. Forget the calorie counting once in a while. Unwrap the chocolate and let it melt in your mouth.
  

• Share happiness. When you think of someone, do something kind — like buying bubble tea for your favorite salon team.
  

• Stay childlike. There’s a Bible verse that says we should live like children — not naïve, but pure. The more sophisticated we become, the harder it is to see the simple good in life.
  

• Learn to relax. For me, it’s soaking my feet in my foot spa while watching short videos — pure, quiet contentment.
  

• Build hobbies. Another rule of happiness is to build hobbies that bring joy — when I play the piano, when my friend is painting, or when another friend goes for a run, we all feel a deep sense of happiness. Especially spiritual happiness, the kind that nourishes the soul, is the truest form of joy.

Happiness isn’t a destination. It’s found in the small, often overlooked moments.

What’s your rule of happiness?
 What makes you happy?