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Daniel: Being Number 3
Number one is God. Number 2 is everyone else. Number 3 is you.
Daniel said, “How about a prayer first?”
Jerry got up, grabbed a blanket, sat down on the couch, and invited me to sit next to him. When prayer was over, I said to him, “Jerry, the thing that is causing you so many problems right now is that you’re trying to be number one instead of number three. You want to be noticed, and behaving as you are now doing will get you noticed, but it won’t be the attention you want. You want to be noticed with love, and you can only achieve your goal by being number three. It’s the law of retaliation. The more love you can share with others, the more you’ll receive, and in the end, you will receive much more than you have given.”
“Really?”
I laughed. “Really. In basketball you don’t even realize how generous you are; you are totally unselfish. You will pass up an open shot to give your teammates an opportunity from a better position. You don’t even think about it; you just do it. Your teammates love and respect you for your thoughtfulness. You are the best shooter on the floor, and they will turn to you when the game is close, but you allow them—no you help them— to become a part of the glory. And even if a player misses an easy layup, you always go over and give him words of encouragement. You are number three on the court, and as a result you’re number one in their hearts.”
Daniel said, “How about a prayer first?”
Jerry got up, grabbed a blanket, sat down on the couch, and invited me to sit next to him. When prayer was over, I said to him, “Jerry, the thing that is causing you so many problems right now is that you’re trying to be number one instead of number three. You want to be noticed, and behaving as you are now doing will get you noticed, but it won’t be the attention you want. You want to be noticed with love, and you can only achieve your goal by being number three. It’s the law of retaliation. The more love you can share with others, the more you’ll receive, and in the end, you will receive much more than you have given.”
“Really?”
I laughed. “Really. In basketball you don’t even realize how generous you are; you are totally unselfish. You will pass up an open shot to give your teammates an opportunity from a better position. You don’t even think about it; you just do it. Your teammates love and respect you for your thoughtfulness. You are the best shooter on the floor, and they will turn to you when the game is close, but you allow them—no you help them— to become a part of the glory. And even if a player misses an easy layup, you always go over and give him words of encouragement. You are number three on the court, and as a result you’re number one in their hearts.”
269 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 20, 2022
1 person want to read
About the author
Peter Pactor
13 books19 followersI have spent all my life with young people. I started out their age and now I'm over four times as old as they are. I retired from teaching in June of 2016 after a half-century of being in the classroom. I feel that one should change careers every fifty years. Now I am an award winning author. My "Daniel Series" currently has six volumes, written with the reader in mind.
Besides the pleasure I get from writing, I also enjoy reading, painting, playing folk music on my banjo, and storytelling, which I have been doing for almost three decades.
Besides the pleasure I get from writing, I also enjoy reading, painting, playing folk music on my banjo, and storytelling, which I have been doing for almost three decades.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 24, 2023
“Daniel: Being Number 3 is the eighth book in the Daniel Series. The story begins with Chester Daniel French Alexander, AKA Daniel, as an elderly great-grandfather. A biographer is recording the events of Daniel’s early life as Daniel reflects on them.
At this point in his young life, Daniel has four adopted sons and four wards, but he is looking to expand his family. He continues to work at Cornwall boarding school and with his business of helping people. For such a young man, Daniel deals with some gritty topics, such as child abuse, bullying, alcoholism, and homosexuality. He handles each topic with respect and diplomacy for those involved. Daniel has a lot of wisdom to offer those who are a part of his world and his faith carries through each of his lessons. As an elderly man, Daniel expresses the importance of having love in your life over the material things. There is a valuable life lesson in there for readers of all ages.
When I read this series, I think about Daniel as a character who is living a life that many of us fantasize about if we won the lottery. His situation is a bit different in that he comes from wealth, but through his father’s wealth, he has created even more. He uses his wealth and his compassionate heart to reach out and help those in need. This would be my dream if I had the resources to do so.
The protagonist’s character goes much deeper than that, in that he also provides life lessons for the people that he takes under his wing. His faith is strong, and it carries over into how provides advice. This is also apparent with the meaning of “Being Number 3.” This has to do with how we should prioritize others. Number one is God, Number 2 is everyone else, and Number 3 is yourself. As I read, I feel that these valuable words will resonate with readers. Just as with the other books in the series, “Daniel: Being Number 3,” offers more than just a fictional escape. There are plenty of lessons conveyed here that can be carried over to our current issues today.
Readers who enjoyed the other books in the Daniel Series will not be disappointed with “Daniel: Being Number 3.” This is highly recommended reading, especially for young adults who enjoy a bit of history. It can be read on its own, but if you read the whole series, you will gain a greater understanding of Daniel’s background and his current path.
At this point in his young life, Daniel has four adopted sons and four wards, but he is looking to expand his family. He continues to work at Cornwall boarding school and with his business of helping people. For such a young man, Daniel deals with some gritty topics, such as child abuse, bullying, alcoholism, and homosexuality. He handles each topic with respect and diplomacy for those involved. Daniel has a lot of wisdom to offer those who are a part of his world and his faith carries through each of his lessons. As an elderly man, Daniel expresses the importance of having love in your life over the material things. There is a valuable life lesson in there for readers of all ages.
When I read this series, I think about Daniel as a character who is living a life that many of us fantasize about if we won the lottery. His situation is a bit different in that he comes from wealth, but through his father’s wealth, he has created even more. He uses his wealth and his compassionate heart to reach out and help those in need. This would be my dream if I had the resources to do so.
The protagonist’s character goes much deeper than that, in that he also provides life lessons for the people that he takes under his wing. His faith is strong, and it carries over into how provides advice. This is also apparent with the meaning of “Being Number 3.” This has to do with how we should prioritize others. Number one is God, Number 2 is everyone else, and Number 3 is yourself. As I read, I feel that these valuable words will resonate with readers. Just as with the other books in the series, “Daniel: Being Number 3,” offers more than just a fictional escape. There are plenty of lessons conveyed here that can be carried over to our current issues today.
Readers who enjoyed the other books in the Daniel Series will not be disappointed with “Daniel: Being Number 3.” This is highly recommended reading, especially for young adults who enjoy a bit of history. It can be read on its own, but if you read the whole series, you will gain a greater understanding of Daniel’s background and his current path.
Displaying 1 of 1 review