Nicole Garrett

O.k., NONE of that is true! But there was a time when it seemed like every book jacket I looked at said something like that about someone younger than me. “Grrrr!!! Who is this woman and how did she do all that?!?!”  I felt my life as a single mother in a small town lacked the richness and promise that seemed to flow so easily to these accomplished women. It is only now with a little age and experience that I can see how my own set of unique life circumstances have combined to make an interesting life. One that I like a whole lot. One that is ripe with the energy of creative potential.

But first…

I was raised in a conservative family with a dominating father in a culture that teaches its young people to obey external sources of authority.  Besides mothers and fathers, there are teachers, principles, bosses, priests, nuns, and governments telling us how to behave and what to think.

OBEY! 

Wanting love and approval and fearing the dire consequences of non-compliance, I did what I could to be a good little girl. I suppressed my inner voice and tried to please. When I did speak up, my intuition was denied and my emotions were dismissed.  Without a connection to my own inner guidance system, I could only look to the external expectations of who I should be as an indication of which direction to go.

High School, college, marriage, kid…happily ever after…right?

How ‘bout - single mother, waitress in a town I had never heard of with no friends and family. Not exactly part of the plan.

“How did I get here and how do I get out?”

A four year stint with bulimia during the classic ages of 18 to 22, ended with 6 months of therapy which is where I first began the process of self-reflection for the purpose of easing emotional pain. Confused as I was, I had been given permission to feel what I was feeling…in that safe space at least. Bringing those feelings to my outer life caused all kinds of disruptions. It doesn't take much experimentation to find out that external sources of authority generally resist critical observation. To me this meant having no outlet for my opinions or expression of any negative emotion resulting from being told to override my intuition and emotions in favor of someone elses preferences for how my life should unfold. But, curiosity sustained me and the prospect of happiness motivated me.

What was the truth about happiness and who could tell me?  

Slowly my search for the answer showed me how flawed the external sources of governing authority were. What an ungrounded, insecure, unsafe feeling to realize the people or entities that guide your life are not in line with your emerging understanding of what it takes to be happy.

I eventually read the word “chakra” and was drawn to the mysterious connection it made between focused inward attention and the movement of energy within my body. As I explored further, I discovered the CHAKRA System to be a simple framework to examine my life for the purpose of finding balance, peace and happiness. Instead of fighting my body, I started to listen to it…closely. And that is how I know what to do.

My North Star is happiness.

My compass is my body.

My map is the CHAKRA System.

My journey is life. 

I hope my story inspires you to explore the CHAKRA System so it brings more goodness & happiness to your life. Collectively, happier individuals make for a happier world. 

Peace in peace out!

Nicole
aka Niki Cha Cha

That's me on the left and my kid on the right. She's friggin' awesome. I'm proud of her and I love her more than anything.