Purple Lipstick

I have heard that the highest form of wisdom is kindness. It had always been an abstract idea to me until I saw kindness in action last Sunday. I was at Avondale with my friends when one of them felt drawn to a disabled homeless boy who had approached us. Instead of giving this young boy the ‘no money’ hand gesture, my friend went on to engage *Paul in conversation and then he wheeled him into the nearest shop, got him a pack of buns, paid at the till and bid him farewell. Kindness doesn’t always have to be big and grand, it can be simple and seemingly small, but one kind action can literally change someone’s day!
On the drive home, I saw something that made tears well up in my eyes. There was *Paul, generously sharing his buns with all the other homeless children. Though he had nothing himself, he found it in his heart to share the little he had received with many others. It was a beautiful scene. It got me thinking of how we expect so much from other people, we always hope that someone else will show the less fortunate around us love in some grand gesture. I am so guilty of holding other people to a standard that I am yet live up to myself in the area of kindness. Sometimes we avoid eye contact with beggars by the traffic lights so that they do not approach us, or we conjure up all kinds of excuses as we take a rather lazy and complacent approach to kindness. If you can be anything this Easter holiday, be kind! Trust me, you will be so much happier when you give someone a piece of your heart instead of rolling up the window.
Here are a few suggestions;
Pack simple jam/peanut butter sandwiches and hand them out to the less fortunate people you pass along the route you frequently travel along.
Or something I learned from Albert and Marlene; spare a few cents on ‘Fun and Fresh’ drinking sachets, and give them to the less fortunate people you encounter. It will cost you literally a few cents.
Always show more kindness than seems necessary, because the person receiving it needs it more than you will ever know. Kindness makes all the difference!
Happy Easter Holiday!!

Love Always
Noni
[*not his real name]

Its getting pretty close to the end of the term and that means exam time is almost here :( Its also crazy to think that in a month the holidays will be here and you won't get to see you besties quite as often. This leaves you with a dilemma, how do you make time for both your friends and your studies? Fortunately,  here are 5 easy ways you can get organized and start living the awesome life you deserve :) Lets get to it then!

1. Get a Planner!

Whether that means picking up a colorful notebook from Art Attack or grabbing an extra exercise book from home, having a planner is essential. I like to write down all the things I need to accomplish that week, including the time I want to hang out with friends, on a Saturday afternoon. Try to set an exact date and time, that way it can become a habit and you'll feel uneasy every time you don't do it. Ooooh, a hot cup of tea and some good music makes this a lot easier, and you'll even end up looking forward to it ;)

2. Work Ahead... Don't Wait till Last Minute

This can seem really hard sometimes, but I'm telling you doing this can save you a tonne of stress and time in the end. If you're teacher gives you a syllabus, try to work a few days ahead of it. That way you have more time to ask questions, if you're confused and also if you slack off on a certain day you're not too worried about it. If you're too far into the term and you feel like its too late to do this it isn't. Skip out on your hour of instagram scrolling or that episode of Suits for the next two or three nights and focus on getting ahead! Trust me it'll pay off come exam time.

3. Motivate Yo' Self by Treating Yo' Self


Yaaas! My favorite part of this process! If you want to do better at staying focused you need to motivate yourself. There are two ways I like to do this. Firstly, if I've just spent the afternoon studying, I'll make sure that right after I have something tasty to eat (I'm currently obsessed with bananas, honey and toast...healthy and so yummy!) You can also make sure you time you're studies so that maybe 30 minutes after you're done you can watch your favorite T.V. show (try not to have it right after so you don't feel rushed.)   Secondly, at the end of the week try to plan a get together with your friends. This will give you something to look forward to on the weekends and you'll have a way to celebrate reaching your weekly goals. Coffee dates, youth group and wandering around the flea market  are relaxing options for things to do on the weekends. If you're looking for something more exciting pass by a rugby game or planning a hike at Dombos :)

4. Learn From Your Mistakes


This is so important when you're trying to do well in an exam. If you didn't do well in a particular section on a test, don't just shrug it off, dedicate an entire night to it! Concepts don't disappear, they usually build on each other so make sure you don't sweep anything under the rug. If you have a friend that's really good in a subject that you're weak in ask them to explain it to you after lunch. If none of your friends understand  or explain it well enough, go to your teacher and let them know you're lost. It probably won't seem super important at the time but you'll have a better understanding of the subject in no time

5. Get Involved in After School Activities

Finally, something I've noticed is that the busier I am the more driven I become. Try to join a sports team or school club, if you can't do that get involved in your local church. Being part of a team will improve your character and also improve your social skills ;) Keep yourself moving but make sure not to over do it. Everything in moderation, don't  work yourself too much, you also need some time to rest.

I really hope these tips help you! Let us know if you'd like more tips like this and we'll get on it :) Good luck!

xoxo
Marly

 Ah! Thanks for coming by the blog, you'll be the first to visit our brand new YouTube Channel! Let us know what you think and if you caught Albert (founding member/tech) ranting. We appreciate your support so much! Love Always <3 The PL Team.

Click on the Photo Booth Photos tab to find you and your friends :) You can also find your photos on our Facebook page (click the Facebook sign on the right of this page, or type in wearepurplelipstick in the search bar on Facebook)