Laughter is the best medicine. Everyone deserves the right to laugh. The clearer a mind and more open a heart, the easier it becomes for an individual to share his or her joy with others.

Now more than ever, I am aware of the fact I am spending my days more merrily due to an increase in my Laugh Ratio: the amount of time spent laughing in an encounter with another or others divided by the total time spent in conversation. Although laugh ratios are greatest with friends and family, I am focusing to increase my proportion with strangers- generally an easy task since time spent with anyone in New York is short-lived.

The desire to improve my quality of life began immediately after my sense of humor was killed after ending my last relationship, and now I am making up for lost time not spent laughing.

If one is interested in reaping benefits derived from laughing, either spontaneous or force-fed, but is not in any mood to do so, I enthusiastically suggest listening to If I laugh by Cat Stevens, which recalls the importance of the effects of laughter following hopeless situations.