Sometimes all it takes is a change in mindset — no matter how small — to turn a crappy day into a good one. To help you shift into a happier gear, we’ve rounded up five things from around the web that inspire and delight us, and we hope they’ll do the same for you. We share our favorite happiness-boosters each week, so be sure to check back — and share your own in the comments below!

Photo: tome213

1. This woman who helped by feeding firefighters

In 2007, Christy Connell was evacuated from her home in Julian, California because of a fire raging nearby. But she quickly returned when she learned that the firefighters trying to control the blaze were doing so without any food. Luckily, Connell knew how to cook: She was co-owner of the Julian Bakery and Cafe. Over the course of four days, she spent nearly 20 hours a day cooking, and served over 1,100 meals — free of charge. Oh, and the fire didn’t spread.

2. This man who helped by saving dolphins

Forget playing basketball: Turns out, being tall is good for saving the lives of marine wildlife. Mongolian herdsman Bao Xishun, who holds a Guiness World Record for being the world’s tallest man at close to eight feet in height, was solicited by veterinarians at an aquarium in China for the purpose of extracting plastic materials accidentally ingested by two dolphins. Xishun’s arm was wrapped in a towel so he couldn’t be bitten, the dolphins’ mouths were held open, and he reached his long arm down into the creatures’ stomachs (one at a time, of course), removing the plastic. In doing so, he saved both dolphins’ lives.

3. This little boy who helped by greeting passengers

This friendly little tyke spontaneously decided to brighten the days of every one of the passengers disembarking a train in Russia.

4. This man whohelped by rescuing a toddler

Julian Duret, a French man visiting New York City in 2010, didn’t have the usual tourist experience. Instead, while strolling a pier at the seaport with his girlfriend, he witnessed a two-year-old girl fall into the chilly East River. Duret immediately stripped off his coat and dove in after her, handing off the unconscious child to her father, who had jumped in behind Duret. The girl was quickly revived, Duret was handed dry clothes by onlookers, and he then returned to vacation as (almost) normal.

5. This recording studio that helped by sharing an old man’s love story

Green Shoe Studios in Illinois received an unlikely submission to their singer-songwriter contest: A manilla envelope filled with hand-wrtten lyrics from 95-year-old Fred Stobaugh. Stobaugh’s wife of nearly 75 years had passed away a month earlier, and the lyrics were his tribute to her. Though Stobaugh wasn’t a singer, he wanted to share his song with others — and so he put it in the mail. Upon receiving Stobaugh’s package, Green Shoe Studios decided to professionally produce the song, free of charge. The result? Well, let’s just say you might want to have tissues handy.

What’s making you happy this week? Share in the comments below!