2017-12-03 16:00
The Year In Review “Go big or go home,” the saying goes so it has taken me a few weeks to come up with this list. Apologies for not posting for a couple of weeks now. Spent the t… Read More
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Claudette P. Esterine - Always Insightful, Inspira Blog
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Always Insightful, Inspirational and In-depth
2017-11-05 16:21
The Threes In Religion Whether you label them good or bad, things are said to happen in threes. Over the course of my life, even to date, this adage has proven to be correct. Maybe that is m… Read More
2017-10-23 12:09
Glued To The Play Button Is your finger on the play button? A couple of years later and my finger is still stuck on it. This article was first written in 2015. Then, some aspects of my life… Read More
2017-10-09 13:43
STOPPING TO GIVE THANKS Thanksgiving Day is not one that is observed on the island of my birth – Jamaica. Throughout my youth, I was mostly unaware of the day that North Americans stop… Read More
2017-09-24 19:38
Facebook And Fake Everything This is not the first time that friendship is the topic of conversation here. However, this is the first conversation about fake friends. With all the talk… Read More
2017-09-17 19:02
Clearing Space Moving house has always been pleasurable to me. Some might think it is crazy-making but for me, it is not. It has been a couple of years now that I have not moved house. Howev… Read More
2017-09-03 15:19
Please Burn Down My House! Spring is usually the time of year that many clear the clutter around their homes. We are almost at the beginning of Fall and time to hunker down. Yet, we are star… Read More
2017-08-27 18:04
How We Deal With It “Shit happens.” That is something no one can deny. Most often, it happens when you are either least expecting it or when you can least afford it. This convers… Read More
2017-08-20 16:08
Losing Your Footing Over the last couple of weeks, at least four people told me that they are feeling overwhelmed. When you add my absence last week from posting an article, that might be fi… Read More
2017-08-07 15:27
Self-Esteem: You Either Have Or Need To Get Some “Everything that happens to you is a reflection of what you believe about yourself. We cannot outperform our level of self-esteem. We c… Read More
2017-07-30 14:44
Examine Your Life A conscious life and intentional living are what many strive to do and this writer is among them. Over the past couple of weeks, that came even more sharply into focus. Reg… Read More
2017-07-16 15:07
It’s More Than Social Each of us has our personal reasons for choosing to be on Facebook or not. If you have used the platform as long as I have then those reasons might have… Read More
2017-07-09 15:10
Celebrate Good Times For at least a decade now, we have heard preachers, politicians and ordinary folk alike stress how important it is to tolerate others. We have also heard countless speec… Read More
2017-07-01 14:16
Mahalia, My Kitten When this was first published, my granddaughter, Mahalia was almost 14-months old. On July 1, 2014, she made a premature entrance and turned all our worlds around. N… Read More
2017-06-25 15:36
What More Do We Need? First written towards the end of 2015, this is a deeply reflective conversation. Although we are only at the mid-year point, there is so much to co… Read More
2017-06-12 11:48
Stop Being The Victim! Scams – most of us have been scammed. You might prefer swindled, cheated or betrayed. It has happened to the majority of us at one point or another in our lives… Read More
2017-06-04 14:51
Do We Live In A Cave? Two years ago, wanting to refresh my memory about Plato’s “The Allegory of The Cave,” I re-read some scholarly articles on the work. One that I came a… Read More
2017-05-28 14:33
Looking Back This weekend, I returned to my past – in terms of my hair. Over the last almost nine years, at least twice hundreds possibly thousands of dollars left my pocket to maintai… Read More
2017-05-22 14:13
Having The Competitive Edge So, answer the question: are you cutthroat competitive? The win at all cost type of person? Whether it is in business or love, you are the type who believes… Read More
2017-05-14 13:24
Everyday Celebration Of Parenting Every year at this time, in North America and other places today is celebrated as Mother’s Day. My personal view is that every day is a day to take ev… Read More
2017-05-07 15:11
You Just Have To Take The Needle “There comes a time when the world gets quiet and the only thing left is your own heart. So you’d better learn the sound of it. Otherwise, you&rs&hell…Read More
2017-04-30 13:58
Winning Big “It is to our own detriment that we underestimate the might of small and simple things.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich For the longest while, I religiously bought lott… Read More
2017-04-23 16:42
Hurricane Katrina Revisited Wanting to live peacefully and without conflict, many shy away from politics and even religion. Admittedly that this is a tempting prospect. However, being a citi… Read More
2017-04-16 15:41
More Than Just Words That We Forget In a servant leadership culture we learn by choice or example that if we want to be great, we have to serve others respectfully.” ― Vern Dosch… Read More
2017-04-09 14:14
More Than Needed “Greed: a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (as money) than is needed.” Okay, let us be honest. We all would be pretty stoked if we got extra mo… Read More
2017-04-02 16:13
Another Adventure In Faith “Finding” might not be the best word to underscore the main point of this, the closing conservation on the book, Care Of The Soul. The better descripti… Read More
2017-03-26 13:33
Main Course Growing up, there were certain foods on the menus that my mother cooked for us. Some were my favourites. Ackee & saltfish (when she could afford the latter), curried ch… Read More
2017-03-19 15:39
Even The ‘Mighty’ Celebrity-watch is not one of my pastimes but the activities of a few, very few, do occasionally catch my attention. Tyrese Gibson is one and his most recent ma… Read More
2017-03-12 15:32
More Care of The Soul Sunday – a new week has begun. So caught up with observing the ‘unfoldings’ that writing a post did not feel like the thing to do. “Observance o… Read More
2017-03-02 12:21
Another Week, Another Assignment There are some statements, sayings, quotes – call them whatever you like – that just pisses me off! Here is one: “A lesson will keep repeat… Read More
2017-02-23 11:29
Song On Our Lips Music permeates almost every aspect of Jamaican life. Whether we are happy, mourning, doing laundry or about to riot there is a song on our lips or moving our feet (and hips… Read More
2017-02-18 15:28
One Less Would you believe that my reading of the book, Enthusiasm Makes The Difference, is still in progress? It has been a few weeks now but this time around I am savouring every page of t… Read More
2017-02-09 12:13
Not In My Nature Being the risk-taker that I am, waiting was not something that came natural to me. Impatience was my tonic. It fueled me into action. Decisive is another word that comes to… Read More
2017-02-02 23:57
Enthusiasm Makes The Difference Continuing our conversation about living an enthusiastic life, we are discussing the 12 steps to help you do so. These are not steps that I developed –… Read More
2017-01-27 12:16
The Book On Enthusiasm Reinventing the wheel is not one of my favourite activities. In her younger years, my daughter would often hear me say, “Learn from the mistakes of others and ma… Read More
2017-01-20 12:14
Are These ‘The End Times’? As a civilization, as nations, as citizens of this world, it seems we have come to one of those times in history when we have to choose. Many will test… Read More
2017-01-13 14:56
The Power Of The Mind During my last programme of studies, one that was undertaken at a Catholic university, faith and reason where up for plenty of discussion. There were those of the view… Read More
2017-01-06 17:04
Are You Committed? That title is not completely accurate. Rather, it is not complete. The editor’s guide recommended that it was the perfect length hence my cutting it short. Had that… Read More
2016-12-22 13:47
Examining Our Lives Ever since my chaplaincy training, reflecting on the journey has been a big part of my life. It is something that comes natural to me. One of my favourite quotes is that… Read More
2016-12-14 13:44
How Many Really Care? Another year and, almost to the day, I am home in pain as I was nine years ago. This time, instead of my head pounding as it was then, it is my back. Sleep was problema… Read More
2016-12-07 19:24
Showing Hospitality To Strangers As another Christmas approaches, the thought of angels are front and centre in most of our minds. This piece was published last year and with a little revisi… Read More
2016-12-01 12:16
Not A Break Up But A Shake Up “Sometimes it takes a heartbreak to shake us awake and help us see we are worth so much more than we’re settling for.” Mandy Hale That I know… Read More
2016-11-23 18:52
Every Day Provides A Chance Tomorrow my American friends will celebrate Thanksgiving Day and, as with the Canadian celebrations, we ask, “What are you thankful for?” This is a cu… Read More
2016-11-14 13:01
Lesson From The US Election The past week has been an interesting one. We have seen the person who was almost written off as “cannot possibly win” do exactly that – win. We… Read More
2016-11-07 12:55
When I Grow Up “This is one more piece of advice I have for you: don’t get impatient. Even if things are so tangled up you can’t do anything, don’t get desperate or b… Read More
2016-10-31 12:35
Life Classes Celebrating a milestone birthday, one would think that the particular year would be the most informative. Well, turns out that the year after is the one that I learned some new… Read More
2016-10-06 14:34
Skinniest Week: Yesterday while watching television, a report came on that this week in October is the “skinniest” all of us will be. The explanation for this by the “exper… Read More
2016-10-03 15:16
Turkey Day Approaches We here in Canada observe Thanksgiving almost a month earlier than our cousins in the United States. Just this past week, as my daughter prepared for a vacation t… Read More
2016-09-29 14:49
Wrapping Up September is drawing to a close and so will our featured conversation – Life’s Big Questions. Since the start of the month, we shared our answers to some and gave tip… Read More
2016-09-26 16:41
Women Of Influence “You will never make it,” she declared to me. It was as if she threw down a gauntlet and I was no chicken. Too much had already happened in my life b… Read More
2016-09-22 13:33
Only Rich People For every time we talked and on any topic it always ended with her saying, “Only rich people… .” Whether we were talking about food, money, clothing, hous… Read More
2016-09-19 14:30
Getting Answers Via Social Media This is one of Life’s Big Questions – why do people cheat? It is a quest that we have been on all month. Answering some of the perplexing, trying… Read More
2016-09-15 12:33
Which Is It? If you have the extra time and want to delve into it, let me tell you in the offing that scientifically, love is just a chemical reaction; it is not what...
The post Real Love:… Read More
2016-09-12 15:21
They Do Not Repeat It was about this time last year that I wrote a piece about changing direction in life. I laid out my life plan, one I had had since early childhood,...
The post Seasons C… Read More
2016-09-09 11:21
Inevitable Event Life is unpredictable; it can be 4, 54 or 104 years long. But what is the point of having it, if is going to end one day? Death is inevitable. Then why...
The post Death: Do… Read More
2016-09-07 13:07
Trigger Warnings What do you do when you hit a wall with one of life’s big stuff events? What could you do, when you feel overwhelmed? Who do you connect with? When? For some this… Read More
2016-09-05 13:13
Appreciate What Is “I will feel better when… If only we had… our place would look so much nicer if…” The greener grass syndrome. I am a little ashamed to say… Read More
2016-09-01 14:16
Too Many Questions “Albert grunted. “Do you know what happens to lads who ask too many questions?” Mort thought for a moment. “No,” he said eventually, “w… Read More
2016-08-31 13:00
The Red, Yellow And Orange Sky My father built a cottage on a narrow strip of land and surrounded by a calm, blue ocean. He made our cottage with wood; brown, teak and heavy. The...
The… Read More
2016-08-30 13:08
They Are Countless Those who have Liked my Facebook page would have read in one of my several daily posts that I no longer name myself as a Christian. That, however, does not disallow...
The… Read More
2016-08-29 11:33
The Greedy It seems like it was just yesterday. The sand on the hidden beach was soft, clean and white; the ocean majestic, powerful and pure. Wild trees grew wherever they liked and e… Read More
2016-08-25 14:02
The Mind Is Strange I searched the entire cupboard for my costume; where, oh where was it? Does this ever happen to you? Can you see something in your mind’s eye – but just...
Th… Read More
2016-08-23 12:26
Fathomless “It is beautiful, it is endless, it is full and yet seems empty. It hurts us.” ― Jackson Pearce Those words are from Pearce’s book “Fathomless”… Read More
2016-08-22 13:30
What I Enjoy I enjoy listening to my customers. I see the spark in their eyes as they discuss their dreams, the blush on their cheeks when they talk about their odd colour choices....
The po… Read More
2016-08-19 12:08
As Simple As A Smile Most pleasures of life are simple. The smile of a newborn baby, the first snow of winter and a cup of hot chocolate before bed. Our society is evolving...
The post… Read More
2016-08-18 12:03
At The Core “The devil is in the details.” Have you ever heard that saying? When I first did the meaning was somewhat lost on me but not anymore. Actually, not for a long...
The… Read More
2016-08-17 11:20
More Than Just Bills “You’ve got mail!” That was the title of a popular movie back in 1998 and it was the introduction to email for many of us. My first computer was a...
T… Read More
2016-08-16 18:25
An Inside Job Is that an accurate question – that someone could make you happy? Often we hear that happiness is an inside job, which leads me to wonder whether my own question is...
Th… Read More
2016-08-15 13:08
A House The mind is beautiful; frightening, heart wrenching and pure. It is a house and memories make it a home. Imagination stretches its wings and flies, but always returns home to the min… Read More
2016-08-14 12:45
The Wonderful Sound “Have you ever heard the wonderful silence just before the dawn? Or the quiet and calm just as a storm ends? Or perhaps you know the silence when you haven’t… Read More
2016-08-13 14:19
Its Place In Your Life How do you feel about technology? There are some advances in technology that I am sure will pass me but we are not at that stage yet. When it...
The post Keeping Up Wi… Read More
2016-08-12 11:15
They Are Everywhere Circles. What you see when you are having a migraine. They creep sneakily across the eyes; so close yet so far. They are beautiful, graceful and elegant. They are p… Read More
2016-08-11 11:24
What A Message Can Do A text message sent me into deep reflection this past Tuesday. Home, nursing a sore knee and contemplating my next move, I was chatting with my daughter on the...
The p… Read More
2016-08-10 11:28
Everybody Carries One A handbag is a symbol of independence, style and comfort. Carrying a handbag is like carrying a piece of home with you, wherever you go. When I see handbags, I think… Read More
2016-08-09 15:13
Social Media Changed Everything Facebook has made everyone friends but are they really? What does being someone’s friend really means to you? My mother did not have many friends and, f… Read More
2016-08-08 11:23
We Meet Again Sometime last year or was it the year before, I found out that Monday was the day of my birth. It explained to me why the day was one of my...
The post Suffering From Monday Bl… Read More
2016-08-07 13:05
A Box Of Crayons “Be uniquely you. Stand out. Shine. Be colourful. The world needs your prismatic soul!” ― Amy Leigh Mercree “See with a different eye, visualize with… Read More
2016-08-06 12:43
More Than A Thousand Words Summer is winding down but you still have an opportunity to use this time to adopt a new routine and make important changes to live a much healthier life....
The p… Read More
2016-08-05 11:14
Few Months To Go “August is a gentle reminder for not doing a single thing from your new year resolution for seven months and not doing it for next five.” ― Crestless Wave… Read More
2016-08-04 11:25
Moving Day Several months ago, I decided to move to a new place. My previous suite was a basement one and while grateful for it, both in terms of cost and its size, there were...
The po… Read More
2016-08-03 11:27
New Norm The Internet in general and social media in particular have changed the way we connect, communicate and correspond. New language, words, acronyms and skills have developed and enter… Read More
2016-08-02 10:57
Choosing Family We have many folklore, proverbs and sayings in Jamaican on many topics but the one that is at the centre of today’s edition of our pictorial journey is “Blood,&rd&hell…Read More
2016-08-01 14:51
Celebrate! Another month has passed and a new one has opened and with it many opportunities. So we thought that instead of publishing articles full of words, we would let a daily picture do… Read More
2016-07-27 11:24
For The Love Of Sponge Cake Many years ago, as a trainee chaplain in a hospital, a powerful story about broken eggs was shared with my colleagues and I. As we continue and in...
The post Wha… Read More
2016-07-25 11:55
Live Healthier Naturally Do you feel stressed out, pretty much exhausted and sometimes even very weak? If your answer is yes, that may mean that you are starting to burn out. There are… Read More
2016-07-21 11:30
The Question “Is there a reason I’m not healing Or am I learning from this pain? I have a little trouble kneeling I don’t know what to believe I’m ready to question T… Read More
2016-07-18 13:42
The 18th Word Serendipity such a lovely word. They even made a movie of that name, one that I really ought to watch if only to see whether they have done justice to the word. The… Read More
2016-07-14 10:57
Is There Really? Have you ever ‘lost’ so much that you felt that there is nothing else for you to lose and this is it? Well I have. Over and over again; and on one...
The po… Read More
2016-07-11 11:37
Gone Forever Searched high and low to find an image of the pen that almost got me the whopping of my life. Just as I searched 45+ years ago to find the one that...
The post Someone Disappear… Read More
2016-07-07 11:05
Or Is That A Myth? Ever since I was a child, I have been mentally trained and indoctrinated to view old age as something related to misery, grief, regret, disease and solitude. I was...
The… Read More
2016-07-04 11:06
Summer Word Challenge It seems like summer has just begun and already July is upon us. In the United States, the first weekend of July this year is marked by our independence day. Most… Read More
2016-07-02 11:25
The Word: Revelation “My soul, sit thou a patient looker-on. Judge not the play before the play is done. Her plot hath many changes; every day. Speaks a new scene; the last act crowns… Read More
2016-07-01 09:00
Happy July! Friday is not a usual posting day for us here but as it is the start of a new month, we will be. Why? Our 31-Day Word Challenge that’s why! We are...
The post 31-Day Word C… Read More
2016-06-29 15:30
You Will Be Glad You Did Today we are going back to basics. No, not asking or suggesting that you give up the washing machine, microwave or any of your modern-day amenities and take...
The p… Read More
2016-06-27 10:50
A Different World I was born in 1973 and the world was comparatively a peaceful one, going by today’s standards. I saw the world in green. The rain drops were more numerous and cultura… Read More
2016-06-22 11:10
Caring For An Aging Parent Truthfully, taking care of an aging parent is very difficult to do with constant grace and kindness. There are so many things you never would have thought you woul… Read More
2016-06-20 10:45
History Repeating Itself Recent events in Orlando, Florida caused many reactions around the world. It took me back to an article that I wrote and published in 2005 on the subject of us being… Read More
2016-06-17 01:18
Empowered Women Where? Resolves are important and that is where the ambitions are rooted. Being a woman in Pakistan is a bit different from anywhere else in the world. The challenges that we… Read More
2016-06-15 10:45
The Most Popular Promise I know the most popular New Year’s resolution is to lose weight and get fit. It is also the one that most people give up the quickest. But this past...
The pos… Read More
2016-06-14 10:40
Broken Promises Anyone can make a promise. The real question is whether they will actually keep it. In my books, some of the most painful broken promises are the ones we make to ourselves… Read More
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