I like to tell myself there are few things I am pretty good at without question. Topping the short list of those things is my ability to be self-deprecating. 

As a victim to several unfortunate trends throughout my time on this planet, I have a lot of regrets, burdens and embarrassing moments I carry. 

While I can delete the photographic proof off my social media or bribe my peers who witnessed me during these dark times to remain silent, these moments will never fully disappear from my history.

Even more so, I tend to encounter embarrassment at almost every turn of my young adult life. 

It is a wheel that keeps on spinning, and I, someone who is almost always physically unfit and at most times intellectually unfit, am not strong enough to stop. 

Instead, I decide to laugh at myself. My columns have become one of my more formal platforms to exercise this, but I do it in most interactions I have with my friends, family and peers.

The best part about this tactic is that it is not one of those things that falls under the “easier said than done” category. It is simple: it starts and ends with you.

You need to remind yourself you are not the only person to ever mess up. You need to tell yourself in a few weeks, months or years, no one will even remember whatever it is you are keeping yourself up at night over. 

You need to encourage yourself to turn this negative into a positive, whether that positive be a learning experience or a funny anecdote to share with your friends.

By laughing at yourself, you unlock a power that cannot be matched by that of any of your criticizing peers, deeply rooted insecurities or the unexpected plans the universe has for you.

One of the biggest benefits from unlocking this power is that it gives you a way to move on and accept yourself or the situation you find yourself in for what it is. 

There have been a lot of things in my life I wish I could change, whether they are awkward moments from my past or heavier topics I find myself unwillingly revisiting. 

Either way, I find the best way to combat these things is to have a sense of humor. It makes it easier for me to confront things internally as well as share my feelings with my family and friends.

Another perk to this power is that you beat everyone else to the punch. If you make fun of yourself first, no one else can. All they can do is laugh along. Sometimes, it may even encourage others to do the same and before you know it, you are all participating in a healthy and honest conversation. 

To put it simply, do not take yourself or everything the world throws at you too seriously. There have been worse things to happen, and there will be better things to come. In order to get to those better things, you need to be able to laugh off the bad. 

A silver lining is hiding somewhere, you just need to find it. Work smarter and not harder: make a joke, have a laugh and move on. 

Carole Hodorowicz is a senior journalism major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or cdhodorowicz@eiu.edu.