Gel manicure Archives - MATIS Fourways

Posted on 28th June 202428th June 2024 by Laurien Lawrence — Leave a comment

My sweet aroma

I must admit, Mandela Day is a surprise to me every year. I have never planned to do anything & I often wonder if the people so eager to post about their 67minutes do it for “clout” (as the youth say), is it budgeted into philanthropy or charity in companies? Does it really have the impact intended?

I’m not coming for Madiba, I’m just wondering if our hearts have forgotten what charity really is, does anyone check their heart posture in these areas or is it just a task checked off?

There are so many great men and women in our story who gave their lives to a cause, fought and stayed gracious, and will stay alive forever in hearts and history books. Have you ever thought about the kind of legacy you would leave behind? I think about it more than is healthy I’m sure… What do people see and feel when they are around you? How do you leave people feeling?

Do you think your presence is a sweet aroma, or if you’re really honest, could you be more like a thorn caught deep in soft skin, or perhaps that unknown something we can’t see stuck in the eye- distorting vision.

It disturbs me that thorn like people can throw some money around on Mandela Day, & since our world now thinks that money is more valuable than good character, they get the praise they’ve paid for.

This month I want to hold myself to a higher standard – don’t get it twisted, I’m a caring someone, I’ve just been through turmoil that knocked me off my feet, & over the past few days I have been reminded that there are beautiful souls all around me & my God sees every tear and swoops in to Romans 8:28 my situation. We just don’t know what people are facing and the smallest act of kindness could be just what someone needs – I want to be the glimmer of hope because that’s what I’ve so desperately needed. So, maybe compliment a stranger, buy a coffee at DC Coffee for a mystery person, reach out to someone, pray for your loved ones, decide to smile & let it go instead of holding onto something that won’t make you any sweeter. Perhaps?

Laurien ❤️

Posted on 4th January 2024 by Laurien Lawrence — 4 Comments

Holding onto Hope.

Yep, it looks like I’m delaying another skincare lesson to put my thoughts (that have little to nothing to do with my business might I add) on this blog for anyone, someone or perhaps not a soul to read.

I’ve found over the last few years that my thoughts become so much clearer as they fall in line on a screen, there’s something so calming about it, about being “naked” with my thoughts. I have realised writing this blog has become my favourite part of my job.

Here’s a question- or 3. Is anyone else finding no joy in wishing people “Happy New Year”? Are we going to do this for the rest of our lives? Surely we can reserve this wonderful wish for the actual day & resume normal broadcasting? We all want happiness, things to finally work in our favour, our prayers to be answered; it’s just that small, slightly doubtful voice that whispers- “hold back”… With every truth I know about this life, that doubtful voice doesn’t wander too far.

So in the face of the fact that people change, things don’t always work out, sometimes you will be misunderstood, & pain comes with the process, where is the hope? I’m reading a book on how our lives are fundamentally affected by our upbringing, & how what happened clearly defines how we view everything.

So, when you’re over 40, have had many things that you could’ve/ hoped would turned out differently, & yet, the amount of personal, introspective & HARD work done, sets you further away from shallow lifestyles, harsh words, & people who can’t face what life has really done to them. I can’t help but wonder, what beauty is around the corner for you?

Diving deep isn’t easy, loosing people you love isn’t easy, shouldn’t the question we ask here be, “What is on the other side of this? What’s required to birth of the best version of you?” Nothing worth having comes easy; to wallow & sit in self pity would be expected, but maybe, just maybe, the opposite of what most of us believe is in fact true. Perhaps someone who has taken a mirror to their ugly, & decided to lovingly heal the parts nobody sat down long enough to understand is how you become more loveable. Perhaps when the wounds, traumas & fear aren’t brushed aside, & instead asked to sit a while & talk, is how you become more understanding, patient & empathetic. Perhaps the people who didn’t see YOU, who chose different, who left you hurt were never part of the plan because all that love, understanding, patience & empathy would have been too big for them to even comprehend. Perhaps?

New Years aren’t always happy & celebratory, they are however a bigger, more significant time we get to consciously put things down, let things go & start again. Whatever starting again includes for you, I pray you hold onto hope.

As we start another year, let’s have faith. When the hard days come, & they will, let’s try to remind ourselves that our best days are ahead of us, that we haven’t even met some of the people who will have the biggest impact on our lives & love us the most! Let’s remember that love casts out all fear. Even when we can’t see it, when we don’t know what’s ahead, when our best planning still doesn’t bring clarity, let’s hold onto hope.

Posted on 30th August 202330th August 2023 by Laurien Lawrence — 1 Comment

If not now, when?

Over the past few years, this “wee” saying has managed to both torture & drive me. Although it’s roots come from Rabbi Hillel the Elder, who wanted to stir up emotion & inspire people to take a stand; to me, the saying can be meaningful in different areas. Many years ago, the business I was with hired a life & business coach for the management team, & this was one of the things he taught. I must admit, there have been a few things that I have carried with me for the past 10 years after the few sessions with him. The bite sized chunks of knowledge have managed to help me move past my need for perfection, push myself to ask the tough questions, & admittedly have made me a more decisive businesswoman.

Not sure how many of you are working on the same LIFE 2023 version I’m currently operating on but shu wee, something has got to give! It’s nearly 10pm & I know I probably won’t finish writing this today but this saying kept popping in my head, nagging me to put my PC back on & just type.

I was speaking to a close friend today & we were talking about how life seems to not want to give us a breather, just a small period of nothing falling apart or needing all our energy. While this saying kept ringing in my head, I felt both guilty for where my head was, how exhausted I felt; & also a strange need to share a different view on it. How many times do we say “I need to book a facial/massage/I’ve always wanted to know more about laser… etc” I am currently typing with 3 .5 still red nails & at least 3 that I practically tore off during the move – because I kept putting it off. How much are we going to push ourselves? How much longer are we going to keep saying we need to do our nails? The reality is, in this day & age, there’s always something that needs to be done, always a deadline, or too many tasks, a to-do list that never ends…

How long are we going to put off consciously filling our cups? I’m such a fan of telling everyone to fill their cups first, to take time out to do what makes you feel refreshed & renewed, yet here I am, sending myself to-do emails & typing with these totally ratchet nails 🤦🏽‍♀️😂 – If not now, when? This saying doesn’t have to only conjure up feelings of guilt when we’re not busy, it should be reminding us that rest is necessary, time out is a non-negotiable. Let’s remember that when we’re empty, we have nothing to give, we’re tired & grumpy, & cannot possibly give our loved ones the best of ourselves, so how about we carve the time out to make sure we are able to work at the productivity level we should be, & prevent the impending burn-out looming over (most of) our heads.

As you all know, we’ve just moved premises (signage still to come, thank you for your patience) & we have been just so grateful to each & every single one of you who have come in & said all the wonderful things you’ve said, continued to cheer us on, & encouraging us at every point – we’re just nuts about you! ❤️🥜

As we prepare for Spring, warmer nights, open toe shoes, shorts – let’s also say “If not now, when” for that pedi, wax/laser etc. Let’s get Spring ready!

Are you going to start setting aside the time you need for you too?

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