As Charles Dickens once phrased it, "There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor."

Maybe it is just me, but life is just so much more enjoyable and tolerable when it is funny. Regardless of the circumstance, a genuine giggle never fails to soothe my soul.

I strive to be the person who can make someone laugh when they don't feel like smiling. This is because when I can't find the words to say to support someone, I know that I can send them the energy of humor to show that I want them to be happy.

Taking our problems and ourselves too seriously seems to drain our innate ability to find joy. When looking at my three-year-old sister, innocent and carefree, I am reminded not to stress the little obstacles I face each day. That bliss that children seem to contain is in fact contagious. I mean, didn't we learn to laugh before we learned to talk? I think realizing this was what fully created my goal to be this goofy light for others around me.

Laughter seems to add life to my years. Being able to laugh at myself when I mess up and find humor when circumstances are not ideal, gives me the strength to get through just about anything.

Audrey Hepburn, (my idol,) once said that laughter cures a multitude of ills.

She wasn't wrong. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

The world seems to be divided into two types of people — those who find it easy to laugh at themselves, and those who take themselves a little too seriously. Believe it or not, the science of good health tilts in favor of those who crack up when they fall. As it turns out, the ability to laugh at yourself is not only a healthy attitude — it’s a healthy attribute.

The study’s author, Ursula Beermann, Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychology at the University of Innsbruck, says the ability or proclivity not to take yourself too seriously also can mean you’re prepared to “acknowledge that you are not the center of the universe.”

Adaptive humor, such as cheering people up or finding humor in negative events, is connected to the overall quality of life and psychological health of a person.

All I know is that when you can laugh at yourself and giggle amidst your struggles, you win and you lose. You lose stress and anxiety. You lose insecurity. However, you win a bright, contagious energy. You win the virtue of humility. Best of all, you win a life that is far more fun.