Purple pens.

According to a recent article in The Boston Globe, many teachers are giving up their infamous red pens and turning to purple. Although some stalwarts are gripping their crimson felt tips, others are embracing royal shade in all its jewel tones.

Red is aggressive. It suggests danger. It makes us stop. A returned assignment covered with red corrections is a hallmark of humiliation. If "seeing red" is a euphemism for rage, seeing red marks is a sign of failure.

Bring on purple. Purple is friendlier. Violet checks aren't as likely to cause cringing. Lavender circles are easier on eyes. Purple gets your attention without increasing your heart rate, and according to color psychologists, it is therapeutic for those suffering from nervous tension or mental anguish.

I feel like dancing in streets in my orchid boots, tossing my lilac beret in air and twirling my dozen iris scarves. You see, I am known as "woman who wears purple" and I make it a big part of my work.

I use purple to make a statement, but I'm borrowing idea from Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple, who said: "I think it pisses God off if you walk by color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it."

Today everyone is overwhelmed with information and having a good memory is very important. There are thousands of little things that you need to remember each day. You need to remember names, numbers, prices, study material, daily tasks, foreign languages, passwords and so much more. The list could continue forever here.

But can you really improve your memory, is it hard and how much time does it take?

You can improve your memory and it's easier than you think. With right knowledge you can have a better memory in a matter of days. Read 5 steps carefully, try to follow advice and watch your memory improve.

Step #1: Use your imagination

Use your imagination when you face something that you want to memorize. When reading a book, imagine things you are reading about. Imagine objects, people, situations, sounds, motion and more.

Imagination keeps you interested in a topic, makes it more fun, and gets you involved. This way your mind concentrates on what you are reading or listening and you're much more likely to remember it later

Step #2: Motivate yourself to learn

It's much easier to memorize something that you're learning with interest and motivation. It's also important to have a purpose why you want to learn something.

Understand why are you learning something and what benefits does new information give you. Be involved in what you are learning as much as possible because then you have a purpose and more motivation to learn it.

Step #3: Have some spacing between learning sessions

You don't have to learn all information at once when you can learn everything much better by taking breaks between learning sessions. You should take breaks as rewards because this gives your mind a chance to review what you have just learned.