Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sharon Babineau. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Sharon , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
I joined the military right out of high school, wanting to serve my country, travel the world and help where I could. They taught me how to persevere against the odds, and to never give up. To go “all in!” I was prepared, yet I never imagined my greatest battle would actually be fought at home. When I met my fiancé Stephen, it was love at first sight. He was a civilian, rode a motorcycle and looked just like Paul McCartney. Life was perfect. Within a few months we were inseparable, and a marriage was in the near future. Then Stephen started to trip for no reason and slur his words. We set up a doctor’s appointment for a check-up, not expecting anything serious to come of it. I still remember it so clearly today. The doctor had ordered some tests prior to our appointment and when he came in the room he looked quite concerned. Within two minutes, our lives were turned upside down – Stephen was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehring’s Disease. A fatal neuromuscular degenerative disease with no known cause or cure. His doctor gave him – six months to two years max to live. When we told him we were planning to marry, he encouraged us to break up. “Sharon, you’re too young to be a widow.” Then he told Stephen, “Best you go back to your parents, let them take care of you.” The disease would rob us of our future life together.
The idea of us separating at such a difficult time seemed cruel. I was ALL IN for love. Soldiers code, leave no man behind. There was no way I was going to walk out of Stephens life, especially now that he was sick.
We defied the doctor and married. Stephen’s illness slowly progressed. At first life was difficult, there was no script or manual for what we were going through. A cloud of fear hung over us. Would this be our last Christmas together, birthday? Gradually we came to the realization that we could no longer live like that, waiting for the inevitable. So, we flipped the script, what if Stephen wasn’t dying of ALS, in this moment he was LIVING with ALS. That change in perspective gave us courage to start a family. We had two beautiful children, Maddison and four years later Derek. Stephen hung on as long as he could for us; he lived for nine years with ALS. I know being a husband and father gave him an incredible will to live. Maddie was six, and Derek two when their daddy died.
He lives on through them and will never be forgotten. I am so grateful I defied the doctor and took a chance on love. Love always wins!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
My career as an entrepreneur was not planned but came about when I realized the only way I could have work/life balance was to be as independent as possible. I never expected that I would be starting over in a new career so late in life, yet here I am, and I love it. I am a decorated military soldier, I went into the military right out of high school, as a mechanic. I marriage the love of my life and had two beautiful children. When my husband became ill, I had to take my military release so I could care for him fulltime 24/7. Continuing to serve would be impossible. When he passed away, I took a job as the Regional Manager of the ALS Society, supporting families with ALS.
Six years later my daughter was diagnosed with cancer at age 12. As she needed support, I stepped back from work once again to care for her. She passed away at the much too young age of fifteen.
I had to start over yet again, myself and my 11-year-old son, I knew I had to take a job where I could be more independent.
Still struggling with both loses, I started studying mindfulness, and stress management wanting to be healthier for my son. I soon learned that many people in the workplace struggle with work/life balance and stress. Mindful Solutions for Change (currently rebranding to: Mindfulness for a World on Fire) was born from the desire to help and give clients the tools they need to become more resilient. I work with corporate, organizations and individuals. I am a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS) and give inspirational keynote presentations.
I’m also the author of the book “The Girl Who Gave Her Wish Away” and started a not for profit in my daughter’s name called Maddie’s Everlasting Wish. I also keynote and share Maddie’s life story in High Schools, inspiring youth to make-a-difference regardless of their age or circumstance.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Pivot – the buzzword of the year for 2020. At the start of the pandemic, spring 2020, as a speaker like many others, my calendar quickly emptied. No speaking gigs were available. The welcome carpet rolled up as everyone was home trying to stay safe. At the beginning, I wasn’t too worried, I enjoyed staying put for a while and took the free time to write another book and create more content. I joined a writing group online; we met EVERYDAY Monday-Friday morning for 90 minutes. The discipline of getting up and online daily really helped with my overall mental health. This extraordinary group of women still meet to this day, two ½ years later! After a few months, as the pandemic was still full blown and causing havoc, it was clear something had to change. A quick pivot to online teaching/training. Crash course on how to run workshops online, and the challenges for keep participants engaged. Next transition was a hybrid form of meetings. One of the benefits of online learning was the ability to reach larger audiences. Connecting people through different towns, countries, time zones was challenging yet extremely rewarding.
We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.
I married my co-founder! After being widowed for 9 years, I met my current husband, Arunas. He’s a retired high school teacher, now teaching mindfulness in our local University. I don’t think I could have remarried without the right mindset. Acquiring mindfulness skills was key to my recovery from the grief of losing my late husband and teen daughter. Working together with Arunas and using these meaningful methods to help others has made our business and home life a success.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/mindfulnessforaworldonfire/
- Linkedin: /www.linkedin.com/in/sharonbabineau/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/babineau_sharon
- Other: https://www.espeakers.com/s/caps/profile/10861 Speaker profile CAPS