As Charles Dickens properly explained it, “There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.” Humor is my base. It is pretty obvious if you know me. I strive to make people laugh: strangers, acquaintances, friends. You never know what people are going through, what people are thinking. I think humor and laughing is a universal love, so why not be funny?

I don’t really know where I got my humor from. I don’t think it is hereditary because in all honesty, mom, dad, you aren’t very funny. As much as I would like to think, I am not a comedic genius. I just say what comes to my head and most of the time it could make people laugh. My whole life I have struggled with anxiety and some depression. I subconsciously used humor to help cope with my issues. Now living in the best mental state I have been in a while, I feel it is necessary to spread humor. Everyone has the capability to laugh. So be the one who makes them laugh! Just because you may not be naturally funny doesn’t mean you don’t have the ability! Say something silly, or do something funny. The smiles you put on everyones face is even more satisfying than the joke it self.

The benefits of laughing are endless. According to the Mayo Clinic laughing releases endorphins that can help activate all your organs. So while you’re smiling so are your insides! After all your stress and anxiety, your mind and body is thankful for your laughter. Every wonder why Kitty from That 70s Show always laughs when upset or angry? Well laughter can actually soothe pain as well as better your mood, which I guess is an obvious factor if you have ever laughed before. I am sure the producers did not have Kitty laugh to prove those benefits. But it shows that laughter is a great coping mechanism and can really be a good friend to your body.

The contagion of laughter is inevitable. If you laugh and if you are funny than your friends will laugh and they will be funny. That spreads nothing but happiness around! In today’s world we focus so much on the sad, messed up issues. While those issues do need to be discussed and resolved, we should also focus on happiness and humor. A little goes a long way with a laugh. So next time you see someone who seems down, just know that one joke could do a whole lot for them! Even if they seem happy, still pull out a joke because “there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”