Mo Charbonneau
The True Spirit of My Work is
To open the doors for people to feel the glimmer, the rising energy,
That comes from responding to the call of life to be more than we are.
To provide the sacred space to step out of daily living, the rules of the tribe, the status quo
And to open our hearts to the significant questions that can change our lives,
And as we sit with those questions, remember who we are,
And connect to something deeper, to that greater than ourselves,
And see what is,
we let go of regret and shame, and all the anchors that hold us down
So the fire of rebellion rises up
And we stand up for what is right in the face of challenges and adversity,
Saying “things are different now”,
Making changes so our lives reflect what we value,
And out of the messiness of life, the unfinished business, the losses, and the finiteness
of time, we know the peace and we experience the grace of stepping into a bigger life than we could see before, and experience the spark, the joy of expanding until our very last breath.
My Business Background
A few of my accomplishments:
- Board Treasurer at non-profit, spiritual organization
- Business counselor at Vermont Small Business Development Center
- Successful fiscal turnaround of two unprofitable businesses
- Research into the electric cooperative industry, leading to a campaign for a seat on the board of directors of my local cooperative
- Supervision of a cider mill conversion into commercial space
- Successful new-product test program within the food industry
- Establishment of a new Boston waterfront museum into an integral part of Boston’s historic scene
- Management of Boston rental units and condominiums
In 1988 I earned an MBA at Simmons Graduate School of Management, Boston.
My Philosophy
Challenges in our lives are gifts on a silver platter, always pushing us to see more, to be more, to go deeper, to trust and love more.
We are constantly tested in life and we are capable of meeting those tests. But we must recognize the tests and be clear on who we are and what our values are.
The more we bring of who we really are, the greater our contributions to the world.
There is a rich world behind our eyes that we can’t see, waiting for us, where synchronicities happen in the normal course of events.
We are moving into a new era where we are learning that all is one. The hurt of one is the hurt of all and the honor of one is the honor of all. Time seems to have speeded up and we have an opportunity to make conscious choices about what we will carry with us and what we will leave behind.
It is possible to go through financial fire, rise from the proverbial ashes, and find that the experience has completely changed your life for the better. (personal experience)
My Life Story
I moved to Boston from Michigan at age eighteen, where I lived for twenty-two years. I married. We lived near Harvard Square in Cambridge, then bought a condo on the Boston waterfront. Eventually, we moved to a condo in Boston’s Back Bay and built a vacation home on Lake Champlain in Vermont. After my son was born, we moved to a suburb just eight miles outside of Boston.
My first jobs in Boston were secretarial, then managerial. I was ambitious and loved being in the world of business. Then came graduate school and an MBA.
My life looked good. But behind that facade there were broken pieces that would eventually make me feel like Humpty Dumpty.
I was married to someone fifteen years older than I, who handled our family finances. I never developed a healthy relationship with money. There was a constant feeling of always needing just a little bit more, irrespective of how much I had. Fiscal responsibility? Not part of my vocabulary.
I divorced and, for awhile, was doing okay. I moved back to Michigan and bought a great house for my son and myself. A progressive hearing loss complicated my life (I now have a cochlear implant), but it was breast cancer and not being able to work for an extended period that knocked me off my feet and changed my life completely.
I was like a deer stranded in headlights. I went through my savings and retirement accounts. I remortgaged my home twice and then sold it just in time, for sale by owner. As my financial circumstances worsened and the props that had made my life appear okay disappeared, it felt almost as though I was becoming invisible. I was forced to find out who I really was.
I came to believe that everything is a gift and I view my entire journey as such.
What got me through those difficult times was the sense that there was value in what I was experiencing and that these experiences would play an important part in my future work. I also knew that work would have to be bigger than me, something that would give meaning to the second half of my life. That’s not to say I found my way quickly. I took detours and stumbled a lot. I didn’t see options that were always around me.
Since that major illness in 2000, I’ve risen from the proverbial financial ashes. I’ve learned who I Am and who I am not. I’ve been resourceful, resilient, and creative. I’ve been fearful, angry, and despairing. Today I’m clear on the place money occupies in my life. Money and possessions no longer define me. I trust the power of my own inherent creativity and intuition. It was never really about the money.
And for these reasons I say that money is one of the greatest tools we’ll ever have for waking up.
I’ve come to a place where I trust that there’re always options and choices. We have only to see them. I have felt somewhat like a puppet these last years, being picked up and put down in a place where I have the opportunities to do those things that nurture and inspire me. Life was never meant to be a struggle. There is power in surrender. This I know.
Once, during this financially challenging time, I had a Heart-to-Heart Skype session with Ram Dass. This is what he told me. “Your financial troubles will disappear when you are your Real Self. Go from your ego to your heart because this is where your real Self is. Are you present? Don’t strive to be. Just be present.” I knew what he was talking about. Still, it took years for me to really get it. This forms the core of all work that I do.
One of the best things about my life is my extraordinary son, who inspires me and gives me confidence that the next generation will change the things that most need changing on our planet.
About Inner Edge Wisdom
Who we are determines what we bring to our work and how we live our lives. Our authenticity, intuition and creativity spring from a deep place of connectedness within. Becoming aware of and developing these innate inner strengths allow us to go beyond self-imposed limits and to live life more fully, to offer the world the gift of our best Self. This is our inner edge.
Inner Edge Wisdom inspires and supports women over 50 in becoming competent and confident in their relationship with money and in starting and building businesses as a way of fulfilling their potential and improving their financial future. Inner Edge Wisdom is a call to baby boomer women to work together to make things better for us and for our world.