Being funny is great.

Even if you’re not a phenomenal athlete, an absolute smokeshow, or ridiculously intelligent, as long as you’re funny—you’re good to go. The phrase “laughter is the best medicine” has become so overused and so commonplace that it has become a joke of its own. But it could not be moretrue. You see, laughter is everything.

Laughter is hope.

When the world seems as though its collapse is entirely definite, when everything stable in your life seems as though it is about to crumble, when everything that could go wrong does go wrong and the deck is simply stacked against you—laugh. Hard. No matter how bad things get you can always laugh at it. When Adolf Hitler was hell bent on world domination and instilled fear in the hearts of millions of Americans what did we do? Walt Disney made political cartoon after political cartoon depicting him in a multitude of ridiculous ways. Adolf Hitler, the evil colossus, became the laughing stock of the United States. Where fear existed, happiness and confidence now reside. You see, we all take life too seriously. Like, way too seriously. You failed a test? There will be another test, your grade can be saved, and life will go on. So laugh about it.

The phrase “funny in retrospect” has been my life motto for as long as I can remember. To me, it means that although you cannot see the positives now, and perhaps the comedic value may currently be unforeseeable, it will be funny eventually. And this means that, not matter how bleak things may seem, there is an eventual positive—a light at the end of the tunnel. You can laugh and joke in a fit of sheer defiance at anything that comes your way, and ultimately overcome it.

Comedy is bigger than all of us as individuals though; comedy’s real function lies in its ability to allow us to help others. Those that can make people laugh have the power to change someone’s day, week, month, and even life. There are those that lose the music, that lose the laughter. They lose sight of the bigger picture and need to be reminded of it. A joke leads to a smile, a smile induces happiness, and happiness halts the downward spiral. You just need to get a laugh. So if you ever find yourself wondering how you can make a difference in someone’s life, how you can make the world a better place, look no further than this:

Just be funny.