10 things that made us smile this week
From tickling elephants to a delightful proposal to the pure love of kids watching their parents dance, here are 10 tidbits of joy to share.

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.
Do you ever look around and marvel at the things humans can do?
Like, yes, there are a lot of terrible and tragic things out there, and we could easily spend all of our days focusing on them. But today I was looking at my living room rug and thinking about the fact that some fellow human being designed its floral pattern and coordinated the colors in a way that brings me joy. And some other human or humans, way back when, figured out how to turn sheep's wool into fibers in order for this rug to be possible in the first place. Some other humans created machines to manufacture, wrap up and ship it. Some humans invented the vehicle that transported it to my house, and a friendly human from UPS smiled at me as he delivered it to my front doorstep.
And that's just a rug. If we look around, we see signs of human ingenuity and creativity everywhere. It's incredible what our species has figured and how we've consistently coordinated with one another to make seemingly impossible things a reality. (I mean, this computer I'm typing on? Incomprehensibly incredible.)
I like to remember such things when headlines or social media toxicity starts to seep into my psyche. We have our flaws to work out, for sure, but people are truly amazing beings with mindblowing abilities, not just for invention but for compassion, connection and delight. Yay us.
So join me in celebrating humanity with these 10 joyful reminders of our awesomeness—with a couple of adorable animal videos thrown in for good measure. Enjoy!
1. Baby elephant won't stop tickling a local Kenyan reporter as he tries to tell a serious story about wildlife conservation.
Gotta hand it to him for lasting as long as he did before breaking. And honestly, this delightful moment probably did more than any somber warning could do to get people to care about how human actions were affecting wildlife. Read the full story here.
2. Parents ask their kids to record them dancing, but capture the kids' reactions instead.
@thechavezfamilyy The end 😭😭 why am I bawling at this trend?! He’s SO CUTE #momsoftiktok #momtok #toddlersoftiktok
The pure love and joy in that face! What a cutie. This is one TikTok trend worth watching, and we've got a whole collection of these adorable videos here.
3. Two cockatoos play peekaboo, giggle and … smooch?
\u201chttps://t.co/JnMwLvuK3Q\u201d— Animales y bichitos \ud83d\udc3e\ud83c\udf0d (@Animales y bichitos \ud83d\udc3e\ud83c\udf0d) 1668422869
How delightful is that? Cockatoos are freakishly smart, so it's not so surprising that they would find fun in the same kinds of games we play with human babies.
4. The way the 4-year-old imagination can make up whole entire lives.
Scroll through these stories. Absolutely hilarious. The imagination of the average preschooler and their willingness to follow wherever it takes them are unmatched.
5. This pizza maker's skill with his dough is the stuff of legend.
\u201cAcrobatic pizza\ud83d\udc4f\ud83d\udc4f\ud83c\udf55\n\n\u201d— Tansu YE\u011eEN (@Tansu YE\u011eEN) 1668451351
Give him about 30 seconds to warm up, and then holy cannoli. That's a guy who takes pride in his work. So impressive.
6. Bruce Springsteen shared an incredible story about being invited to a fan's house and surprising his mom.
\u201cIf you ever met your hero you\u2019d hope they\u2019d be as cool as this!\n\nBRUCE SPRINGSTEEN tells GRAHAM NORTON about the time he made a fans\u2019 dreams come true.\u201d— James Leighton (@James Leighton) 1668333261
Can you even imagine? You're just out at the movies and you run into a mega rock star? And then you invite him to sit with you and he says yes? And then you invite him to your house, and he says yes?!? There are so many fun details to this story. Read the full story here.
7. The unbridled joy of a left-handed person finally getting a pair of left-handed scissors.
Who knew cutting things could be so fun? Scroll through. It's the simple things we take for granted sometimes.
8. The actor who played Biff in 'Back to the Future' wrote a hilarious song about all the questions people ask him.
\u201cTom Wilson (Biff Tannen) was asked the same questions by BACK TO THE FUTURE fans so often, he wrote a song answering them. This is that brilliant song.\u201d— All The Right Movies (@All The Right Movies) 1668272400
Tom Wilson has been doing standup comedy and music for the past several decades and this song is one of the staples in his show. He also has a card he created that he can hand out to people answering all of the usual questions he gets asked. Check out the full story here.
9.Coach proposes on the sideline and the football team's reaction is everything.
Clearly, this is a coach with a strong connection to the kids on his team. What a fantastic celebration.
10. Let's strive to live life with the perseverance of this playful kitten.
\u201c"Your attempt to win this game shall prove futile, human" --Kitty, probably\u201d— Madeyousmile (@Madeyousmile) 1668456584
Hope that brought a few smiles to your face! Come back next week for another collection of smileworthy finds. And if you want to get this post in your inbox each week, sign up for Upworthy's free newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.
12 non-threatening leadership strategies for women
We mustn't hurt a man's feelings.
Men and the feels.
Note: This an excerpt is from Sarah Cooper's book, How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings.
In this fast-paced business world, female leaders need to make sure they're not perceived as pushy, aggressive, or competent.
One way to do that is to alter your leadership style to account for the fragile male ego.
Should men accept powerful women and not feel threatened by them? Yes. Is that asking too much?
IS IT?
Sorry, I didn't mean to get aggressive there. Anyhoo, here are twelve non-threatening leadership strategies for women.
Encourage.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When setting a deadline, ask your coworker what he thinks of doing something, instead of just asking him to get it done. This makes him feel less like you're telling him what to do and more like you care about his opinions.
Sharing ideas.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When sharing your ideas, overconfidence is a killer. You don't want your male coworkers to think you're getting all uppity. Instead, downplay your ideas as just "thinking out loud," "throwing something out there," or sharing something "dumb," "random," or "crazy."
Email requests.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Pepper your emails with exclamation marks and emojis so you don't come across as too clear or direct. Your lack of efficient communication will make you seem more approachable.
Idea sharing.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
If a male coworker steals your idea in a meeting, thank him for it. Give him kudos for how he explained your idea so clearly. And let's face it, no one might've ever heard it if he hadn't repeated it.
Sexism.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When you hear a sexist comment, the awkward laugh is key. Practice your awkward laugh at home, with your friends and family, and in the mirror. Make sure you sound truly delighted even as your soul is dying inside.
Mansplain.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Men love explaining things. But when he's explaining something and you already know that, it might be tempting to say, "I already know that." Instead, have him explain it to you over and over again. It will make him feel useful and will give you some time to think about how to avoid him in the future.
Mistakes.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Pointing out a mistake is always risky so it's important to always apologize for noticing the mistake and then make sure that no one thinks you're too sure about it. People will appreciate your "hey what do I know?!" sensibilities.
Promotions.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Asking your manager for a promotion could make you seem power- hungry, opportunistic, and transparent. Instead, ask a male coworker to vouch for you. Have your coworker tell your manager you'd be great for the role even though you don't really want it. This will make you more likely to actually get that promotion.
Rude.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Sometimes not everyone is properly introduced at the start of a meeting. Don't take it personally even if it happens to you all the time, and certainly don't stop the meeting from moving forward to introduce yourself. Sending a quick note afterward is the best way to introduce yourself without seeming too self-important.
Interruptions.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When you get interrupted, you might be tempted to just continue talking or even ask if you can finish what you were saying. This is treacherous territory. Instead, simply stop talking. The path of least resistance is silence.
Collaboration.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When collaborating with a man, type using only one finger. Skill and speed are very off-putting.
Disagreements.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When all else fails, wear a mustache so everyone sees you as more man-like. This will cancel out any need to change your leadership style. In fact, you may even get a quick promotion!
In conclusion...
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Many women have discovered the secret power of non-threatening leadership. We call it a "secret power" because no one else actually knows about it. We keep our power hidden within ourselves so that it doesn't frighten and intimidate others. That's what makes us the true unsung heroes of the corporate world.
About the Author: Sarah Cooper
Sarah Cooper is a writer, comedian, and author of 100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings. Her new book, How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings, is out now.
The comedic book cover.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
A satirical take on what it's like to be a woman in the workplace, Cooper draws from her experience as a former executive in the world of tech (she's a former Googler and Yahooer). You can get the book here.
This article was originally published on March 25, 2019.