Be bold: Think big:

Go GET the world

By Kesara Ratnatunga

In Sri Lankan society, never has the competition to excel and succeed been more acute than it is in this day and age. Survival of the fittest is no longer just the law of the jungle, but the rule which governs the rat race of our society. Getting through exams, acquiring the skills necessary to compete for the best jobs, obtaining the qualifications needed to reach the top positions, surviving the ruthless competition, have all become part and parcel of the life and thinking of the younger generation. It's not too hard to realise that these pressures have played their part in choking the life out of that inquiring, wide eyed wonder of simply being young.

Many young people today lack an inquiring attitude. Those with the desire to poke, probe and think about 'stuff' are frighteningly few. Perhaps this is because of the spoon-feeding tuition culture, maybe it's because of the competition, perhaps it's due to an inherent short coming in our society, no one knows or can really say.

The end result is that many never discover the key which opens the door to the 'wide wide world outside,'....curiosity.

When you are a kid, your parents, teachers and generally everyone else who falls into the category of 'the people who know more than you', will tell you to focus on your goals and go for it without looking back. They would also be more than likely to hint - in no subtle way - that those who day-dreamed and wasted their time on nonsense, "never got anywhere". Admittedly this 'traditionally sound' piece of advice does have its plus points. But maybe there is also a bigger picture to be considered.

Imagine, a kid who wants to become a professional in a particular field. Suppose he didn't do anything else but focused on his ultimate goal and studied hard, aced all his exams and finally became what he wanted to become. Great! now he's achieved his goal and knows everything he needs to know about his selected profession. But what about the other aspects of the world, the other facets of life? Is he even aware of them? Does he know what he's missed?

Art, music, literature, science, mathematics, politics, history, sociology, philosophy, economics - there are an infinite number of fascinating fields which one can dabble in and pursue, even if just for the sake of finding out what it's all about. And mind you, these are just the orthodox areas.

It doesn't matter what you take an interest in, it's being broadminded and expanding your horizons that's important. Learning new stuff about all different types of things is not only vital in making you a diverse and knowledgable person, but also in helping you understand things in new perspectives. The broad and vivid outlook will help you no end in finding out where you fit into the grand scheme of things. It's like a journey of self-discovery.

Venturing beyond into new arenas can bring out new talents and open up avenues of opportunity that you never knew existed. Who knows, you who had your heart set on becoming a lawyer could find that being a musician gives you that extra sense of purpose and satisfaction which you would never have known if you didn't try it out. Even if you don't like something, you could always give it up and try out something fresh. The important thing is to keep your mind open to new opportunities so that you will always have your options open.

Once you unlock the doors to the 'outside world' and you realise the potential it holds, from then on there are no limits. You begin to realise the amazing resources of capability and creativity that have been inside you all along. The independence - not only in life but in the way you think- which comes with this discovery does wonders for your self-confidence and helps the individual inside you break free.

Many would argue that the current pressures of day to day life do not leave the space nor the time to 'explore life'.

But is this really the case? It's all a matter of attitude. If you want to do something you can always find the time no matter how busy you are. If you cut down on your idling, gossiping, and general laziness, just think about the amount of free time you would have. The world is a big place. There are things to be seen, people to be met, trials to be faced and the magic of life to be explored. And best of all, there are no limits to what you can do. So many things to be done, and all the time you have left to do it... is just today and the rest of your life.

Life is such a wonderful gift, it would be a shame to waste it simply because you didn't take the time to explore it.

Get rid of those pimples

All pimples have the potential to scar if you pick at them. While picking at pimples may push some of the pus out, it also pushes what is below the surface into the surrounding tissue, rupturing the follicle walls and speading the bacteria, thus increasing the potential for inflammation and scarring.

Products to help your acne condition.

Astringents

The purpose of astringents is to remove excess sebum from the skin. They do this by breaking up the sebum which then can be easily removed. Astringents that contain alcohol can dry the skin and usually aren't used in combination with other skin-drying treatments because increased skin irritation could result.

Exfoliants

Exfoliants work by irritating the skin. As a result, cell turnover is accelerated and peeling occurs. Mild peeling may be helpful but exfoliating agents are seldom recommended when inflammation is already present because they can aggravate it.

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C/o Mirror Magazine
P.O. Box 1136
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They are requested to first telephone 075 522238 before calling over at the office.

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Demodara

Night out ends in tears

FURIOUS Robbie Williams stormed out of a St. Tropez restaurant, leaving new girlfriend Geri Halliwell sobbing face down on a table after a bust-up over another woman.

The row came less than a week after the couple's affair became public.

Jealous Geri confronted Claire Staples and then squared up to Robbie because she thought he was paying the blonde too much attention.

But Claire, 35-the manager and former fiancee of hypnotist Paul McKenna and an old friend of Robbie, says Geri got it all wrong.

"It was a misunderstanding. Geri thought there was something going on when there wasn't," she insisted.

The flare-up happened on Friday night when Robbie, 26, and Geri went out to dinner at trendy La Madrague in St Tropez, where they are on holiday.

Party

They arrived at 10.30 p.m. and Robbie bumped into Paul McKenna and Claire. The three became friends when Paul helped Rob Kick his drink and drugs habit.

One onlooker said: "During the evening Robbie would wander over to their table or Paul or Claire would go over to theirs. It was just like one big party."

But when Robbie started spending too much time at Paul's table talking to Claire, Geri got mad.

The onlooker said the former Ginger Spice stomped over and thumped Claire on the back to get her attention.

Claire ignored her and sulking Geri marched back to her own table. But a few minutes later she was back and this time Robbie was in the firing line.

Geri then burst into tears and ran back to her table, while furious Robbie called for his driver and left with Paul and Claire. "Geri was clearly distraught and was being consoled by her friend, but Robbie seemed to want to get out of the place as quickly as he could," said the eye-witness. "As soon as Geri saw Robbie leave, she ran over to a couch opposite her table and started sobbing loudly. She put her face down on the table and put her hands over her head and stayed in that position for a few minutes.

"A lot of people were staring at her but she didn't seem to care."

"She was in such a terrible mess, nobody could console her. She just went ballistic." Robbie partied at another restaurant until the early hours when he returned to the hotel to face the music from Geri.

Concerned Claire was at pains to let Geri know she'd got it all wrong.

Upset

It was a different story a few hours before the bust-up, when Geri, who celebrated her 28th birthday recently, was spotted shopping with Robbie at posh people's jewellers Cartier.

A source close to the couple said: "Robbie was wondering what to get Geri for her birthday. He wanted it to be a surprise but needed a clue about what kind of present she wanted."

What's the bet if he settled on a diamond ring, it's already headed back to the shop.

Soul-mates

She's barely able to contain her delight over her recent marriage to actor -director Billy Bob Thornton. ' He and I live by the same code of ethics. We also have the same sense of humour, the same dreams, the same wishes'

Forget about her Oscar and three Golden Globes. Forget about the huge success of her latest film Gone In 60 Seconds. Forget about her upcoming role as feisty Lara Croft, in the film version of the cult computer game Tomb Raider, for which she is currently undergoing weapon and fight training. The only thing beautiful and eccentric Angelina Joilie wants to talk about is how incredibly in love she is with her new husband, actor director Billy Bob Thornton. .

You and Billy first met while filming Pushing Tin in 1998...

" Yes, and the first moment I saw him, he took my breath away and I literally walked into a wall. For me it was love at first sight."

But it took a while to develop ?

" He was involved with Laura Dern at the time , so we just became good friends.

When did your relationship change ?

" A few months ago we found our selves alone and finally came together . Since then every day has been magic. He has grounded me. Before, I used to feel I was only alive five per cent of the time"

What makes him so special ?

" He stands for all the things I stand for . He and I live by the same code of ethics. We also have the same sense of humour, the same dreams, the same wishes. I still can't believe he married me ! "

When did you decide to get married ?

" We had talked about not getting married because we felt married already and we knew there would never be anybody else in our lives. But I was going to shoot Tomb Raider in England and we decided we didn't want to be just girlfriend and boyfriend anymore, so we flew to LA for a quick ceremony on May 5."

You are 25 and Billy Bob is 44. How do you feel about the age difference?

Age doesn't mean a thing to me I was once married to a man my own age and it didn't work out. Billy and I have gone through the same things in life. "

How did your father, actor Jon Voight, take the news of your wedding?

" My father knew there was someone in my life because he saw how happy I was, so he couldn't help but be very pleased about it".

Billy seems to have changed you..

"Well, if I feel like I'm losing my mind, Billy will calm me down and make me feel centered, complete and whole. "

When you're working away from him how does the separation affect you ?

" I miss him every second. I write him letters and call him three times a day if he is miles away."

Your husband has three children. Are you planning to start a family of your own ?

' I want many children - God willing.

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