Esther Sinclair: I will not be a pauper with untapped potential

As she listened to the many stories of her father during his funeral in 2016, Esther Sinclair made a conscious decision that she would not die like he did: a ‘pauper with untapped potential’.

The frightening reality catapulted the then 39-year-old woman into a future of purpose and productivity.

“I did not grow up with my father… However, I always heard that he was very bright and always reading and walking around with lots of books. He was always seen in libraries and hotels doing research, reading the paper and had lots of his writings on pieces of paper. His potential, however, was never realised and at his funeral many persons spoke about how brilliant he was,” she said, adding that the experience propelled her to start taking intentional steps towards finding and living her passion.

A few years later, the now author, accountant, pastor’s wife, mother of four, purpose coach, poet, entrepreneur and mentor is living her full potential and is on a mission to inspire others to find purpose in hard times such as the pandemic, as she did during her father’s memorial.

“I have used the pandemic as a purpose platform since birthing my first book ‘Cultivating Purpose’ which took me seven years, just in time to be released in January 2020 in the onset of the pandemic,” she said, noting that during the lockdown she was ‘locked into purpose’.

Speaking about how she used her time during the chrysalis as a catalyst to achieve, she said: “I was inspired to write a ‘Motivational Monday’ series, which I did consistently for one year. I also did ‘Inspiration Acronyms’, which some companies used to inspire their staff and customers. I started a monthly ‘Courage to Cultivate’ workshop, teaching the principles of purpose which started face-to-face and quickly transitioned online, capturing an audience across Jamaica and other countries, unlocking many doors and igniting possibilities for many who had no sense of purpose.”

Her exploits birthed what the mentor described as a purpose community dubbed ‘Destiny Cultivators’, which includes an outreach arm of some 100 members helping those in need.

“Many persons were empowered through the establishment of growth groups and the coaching sessions which encouraged persons to become 21st-century lifelong learners. I also partnered with other stakeholders to empower persons to walk boldly into their purpose,” she said.

Through assisting others in realising their self-worth and calling, Sinclair revealed that ideas that have been shelved for years were birthed, books written, businesses were started and careers changed.

“The testimonials of personal and spiritual growth during the pandemic are many and heart-warming. I have also benefited and have become more time conscious. I have authored four more books since the start of the pandemic, including a workbook for ‘Cultivating Purpose’ and a trilogy called ‘Truth 101: Let the Animals Teach You’, which shares 101 lessons from 10 animals and which has been transforming lives,” she shared.

The visionary noted that she is now very passionate about using her time on earth wisely and emptying herself of every gift that God has deposited in her.

“I believe a faithful steward must multiply their gift and bear fruit that others can benefit from and leave a lasting legacy. This is just the beginning as by God’s grace I will continue to go all the way to greatness, which is the seventh stage of completion in ‘Cultivating Purpose’. My keyword is be intentional with your gifts and your time,” Sinclair noted, adding the popular philosophy: ‘You don’t have to be great to start but you have to start to be great.’