If an ice cream cone with colorful sprinkles, hot air balloons floating in the sky, or a sparkling blue pool made you smile, you’re definitely not alone. The truth is joy often hides in simple things that we might think are too childish or outdated. 

Sometimes, we’re so busy looking for happiness that we forget to notice the little moments of joy right in front of us. Joy is different from happiness because it’s those short bursts of feeling super excited and happy, like when you score in a game or get a surprise treat.

Author of the book Joyful Ingrid Fetell Lee, who’s really into figuring out what makes people happy, says joy is all around us, but we often miss it because we’re focused on bigger things. Joy isn’t always about big events or fancy stuff… it’s in simple things like eating your favorite ice cream, playing with a new toy, or even seeing a rainbow.

To find more joy, look for those tiny, happy moments that make you smile. Maybe it’s hearing your favorite song on the radio or catching a funny movie with friends.

By paying attention to these little things, you can find joy everywhere and feel happier every day.