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This article is part of <\/span><\/i>Upstream,<\/span><\/i><\/a> The Daily Wire\u2019s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories \u2014 from our featured writers to you.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n ***<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Welcome to the Bright Side, a weekly roundup of all the good news and ideas you might have missed from the past week.<\/span><\/p>\n I was casually taking an internet quiz to see which culinary herb I am (as one does), when I was asked to pick a sound that \u201cspeaks\u201d to me. I chose a crackling campfire. My shoulders relaxed just thinking about camping in Sequoia National Park and how small I felt among giant redwoods. I could almost taste the whisky we sipped while telling stories as millions of stars spilled into the sky. In the spirit of uncovering soul-soothing joy wherever we can, here are a few things to get the party started.<\/span><\/p>\n Humanity Weighs In On Little Joys<\/b><\/p>\n When happiness researchers surveyed 100,000 people to find out what brings them the most joy, most responses didn\u2019t mention anything about winning the lottery or getting famous. Instead, the crowd-sourced results (which you can explore with this <\/span>interactive map<\/span><\/a>) were much more relatable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Revealing the greatest moments of the last 24 hours or the most recent three months, people recorded things like driving 300 miles to help a friend, laughing at their silly pets, foraging for mushrooms, and reading a book. Seeing ordinary responses arranged via tiny figures on an imaginary continent highlighted the power of 100,000 happy moments.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Going \u201cPeak Bondi\u201d This Summer<\/b><\/p>\n Immediately after I heard this story, I dedicated my life to achieving this level of unbotheredness. It happened during Prince Harry and Meghan Markle\u2019s visit to Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. But the real star was the woman who didn\u2019t move a muscle as the \u201croyal\u201d entourage nearly <\/span>trampled her<\/span><\/a> on the sand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The unknown queen barely looked up from her reading as lifeguards, fans, and camera crews stepped all over her personal bubble. One <\/span>Redditor<\/span><\/a> noted the \u201cpeak Bondi attitude\u201d on display. It may have been the responsibility of the royals\u2019 hosts (the <\/span>Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club<\/span><\/a>) to steer everyone clear of the beachgoer, but when you\u2019re presented with the opportunity to stand your ground by never leaving your beach towel, you take it.<\/span><\/p>\n Upgrade Your Weekend Tuna Melt With Kimchi<\/b><\/p>\n I\u2019m all for the new trend of <\/span>going to dinner early<\/span><\/a> so I can change into sweats by 7 p.m., but if I don\u2019t want to go anywhere, nothing beats a comforting meal at home. Bon App\u00e9tit\u2019s <\/span>Kimchi Tuna Melts<\/span><\/a> come together in 30 minutes, with just seven ingredients, kicked up a notch with tangy kimchi and umami-boosting soy sauce.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Toss two five-ounce cans of oil-packed tuna (drained), with 3\/4 cup chopped kimchi (plus one tablespoon brine), 1\/2 cup mayo, two teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce, four sliced scallions, 1\/2 cup grated sharp cheddar, and salt and pepper to taste.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Toast four English muffin halves under the broiler for two minutes. Scoop tuna salad evenly onto the muffin halves, and sprinkle with an additional cup of grated cheddar. Broil until the cheese is melted, and serve.<\/span><\/p>\n A Med School Grad\u2019s Lucrative \u201cBalloon Doctor\u201d Side Hustle<\/b><\/p>\n To help pay off $405,000 in student loans, 27-year-old medical specialist <\/span>Brandon Alexrod<\/span><\/a> is taking hot air all the way to the bank using his balloon animal talents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Cornell University alum says he flipped a favorite childhood hobby into his current side hustle to take the edge off the anxiety he felt over his debt. He may have been twisting flower and dog shapes back in the day, but now he\u2019s making thousands of dollars crafting viral balloon sculptures. His take on <\/span>the Statue of Liberty<\/span><\/a> just might have you falling in love with the sound of balloons squeaking against each other.<\/span><\/p>\n Taking Inspiration From The Toaster<\/b><\/p>\n If you woke up after your alarm should have gone off and the coffee creamer went bad two days ago, you may want to count your blessings. Well, at least you can put a good spin on annoying events by remembering the Burnt Toast Theory.<\/span><\/p>\n The idea goes like this: Instead of bad luck working against us, minor setbacks could serve as welcome detours, gently guiding us along a better path. \u201cNot every setback is meant to stop you,\u201d author <\/span>Rebecca Simon<\/span><\/a> says. \u201cSome are quietly moving you away from something that would have cost you more than you realize.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Modern Medicine Might Have Found A Cancer Cure<\/b><\/p>\n Forget what you know about mRNA vaccines. As the first person to try an mRNA vaccine for pancreatic cancer, Donna Gustavson skirted \u201ca death sentence\u201d after her diagnosis, thanks to surgery to remove the tumor and a clinical trial that worked.<\/span><\/p>\n Six years later, she\u2019s cancer-free, with immune cells from eight vaccines still detectable in her system. She celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary and welcomed two more grandchildren. Research continues, but doctors are hopeful that the groundbreaking results will affect other cancers in the future. \u201cEvery day, I wake up and thank God I\u2019m here,\u201d <\/span>Gustavson said<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Take A Worthwhile Mental Break<\/b><\/p>\n I don\u2019t always scroll social media, but when I do, I love it when the algorithms align to show me something delightful. (Not today, TikTok girls crying about breakups.) This week, a sweet <\/span>baby with Down Syndrome saying his first word<\/span><\/a> had me sobbing at my desk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Every man who has seen this has claimed there was \u201cjust something in his eye.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/Rf81Xy2ZTS<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Megan Basham (@megbasham) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Elsewhere, influencers making fun of influencers is the influencer trend I can get behind. (Watch these two crack themselves up doing a \u201c<\/span>Get Ready With Me\u201d for Coachella<\/span><\/a>). And I\u2019m living for Alex Haddon\u2019s \u201cMatch The Song To The Person\u201d bit where he sings the perfect track for a random stranger. Maybe \u201c<\/span>Fly Away<\/span><\/a>\u201d for the guy who looks like Lenny Kravitz is too on the nose, or maybe it\u2019s perfection.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I love hearing about what caught your eye, lifted your spirit, and brightened your day. Share your favorites in the comments (you can <\/span><\/i>email<\/span><\/i><\/a> me too) and spread the joy! \u2014 Lauren<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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