Shonna Chiles
After lots of ups and downs, Shonna has realized knowing herself to her core is the best avenue to influence others and honor her own path. Now she inspires others to do the same.
What’s been the biggest obstacle in your life so far?
Undoubtedly it was a short period of time in 2014 when I was homeless. I spent those weeks living out of my car and in the empty rooms of motels that my friends hooked me up with in San Francisco. I felt so hopeless during that time and right when I was ready to pack it all up and go home, my car was broken into and “it” all got stolen. But, the fire inside rose up, I stuck it out and I figured it out. I think the greatest takeaway was my integrity. I could’ve easily caved on my personal moral code to procure a better situation for myself, but I never did. I’m proud to think back on that time and my resiliency. It gives me a much fonder appreciation of the life I have now and the good people along the way back then.
“Alone isn’t lonely and your power is in knowing exactly who you are and exactly what you stand for.”
What’s the single biggest problem you’d like to solve in your community?
I want women to love themselves so much that they can be entirely comfortable being by themselves. I meet a lot of women who are terrified of being alone or getting to know themselves. I want them to strive to know themselves as well as they know their children or their spouses. I want them to be empowered to be alone. I want them to go to dinner alone, sit in meditation alone, travel the world alone. Alone isn’t lonely and your power is in knowing exactly who you are and exactly what you stand for. I aim to do this through all of the tools I encompass from dancing to metaphysical healing.
shonna is one of 100 women we have featured in the inaugural issue of Hundred Magazine. To learn more about her and the other 99 women, buy the issue.
