Peter J. Daniels – From Illiteracy to Bestselling Author and Speaker

– Peter J. Daniels

Over the years, I have itched this in mind: what happens to a man is less important as compared to how he responds to it. If there is anyone on earth who inspires me to work hard towards my goals, it is Peter J. Daniels of Australia. I cannot recall how I discovered him on the internet (this must be years ago) but once I found him, his story of rags to success and influence as a Christian pushes me to lay down all my excuses and pick up the pieces of life and work hard.

Mr. Daniels started in life with very limited options. He started off as poor and illiterate and worked his way up the ladder of life making an impact in a lot of lives. I gleaned these lessons from his official biography.

Few people in life start with a silver spoon in their mouth. Unfortunately Mr. Daniels was not one of them at all. He started life from a “poor dysfunctional family background and as a child suffered from ill health and dyslexia. He never passed one grade at school and found himself to be virtually illiterate at the age of 26.” At the age of thirteen he became a bricklayer and stonemason. That’s a lot for a 26 year old to carry. From the word go, we can realise that Peter had the odds against him.

Many of us start in life just like Peter J. Daniels. We come from financially poor homes, broken homes, single parents, orphans, disease stricken, mental disorders and so forth. On this side of eternity, these disadvantages of life are rife. Especially for those of us born on the continent of Africa, we arrived on the scene of life knowing that even our skin colour becomes an issue coupled with underdevelopment. In a wider sense, each person on earth has a disadvantage he/she has to deal with. In Proverbs 30:24-28, the writer uses four little animals to teach us that everyone has something he has to sort out. He says the ants are not strong, the rock badgers are feeble, the locusts have no king, and the spider grasps with its hands. Our backgrounds are diverse and many times dysfunctional.

A man’s faith is his life. So when you have it wrong, you will eat of its fruit. The turning point of Peter Daniels life came when on 25th May 1959, he became born again at a Billy Graham Crusade in Australia. For him being born again wasn’t only about his spiritual birth but his entire life experienced total turn around because he believed he is the son of the King. A man’s spiritual standing with God gives him a new outlook and actions in life.

“A man’s spiritual standing with God gives him a new outlook and actions in life.”

We all have faith in something. Even the atheist who believes there is no God believes himself to be god (without even knowing). Also, faith in God is not about religion. Faith in God, as espoused by the Bible, is saving faith through grace by the finished work of Christ. The Apostle Paul writing in Ephesians 2:8-9 says that, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” When we put our faith in Christ, we are made right with God. Importantly, like Peter J., faith compass determines the direction of our life.

“When we put our faith in Christ, we are made right with God.”

After Mr. Daniels came to saving faith, he had a vision from God which was two-fold: First, to see how much money one human being could give away in their lifetime. And second, to change the world for 300 years. Bold and audacious dreams inspired by God.

In my article, Think, Start, and Move, I shared three values from the business adventures of Kwaku Bediako, Founder and Creative Director of Chocolate Clothing. One of it was that any business that will end up global must think big. Actually, it takes the same effort to dream small to dream big. If I use 50 minutes to dream something small, it could have been used to dream big rather. We can learn from Peter Daniels that each one of us must have a dream or vision for our lives. Something big must drive our daily work. Something compelling must wake us up each morning. If you have a dream like Bill Gates to put a computer in every home on earth, you will never rest until it comes to pass. Vision!

“It takes the same effort to dream small to dream big.”

How can an illiterate become educated? Well, you may say he should go to school. That’s not exactly what Peter Daniels did. He rather resorted to personal education. A summary of his personal education exploits reads: “In pursuit of these dreams he purchased three dictionaries to understand words, and practiced pronunciation and speech by listening to British broadcasters on radio who in those early days spoke impeccable English. Without a tutor or mentor he then studied economics, politics, modern and ancient history, theology, law, philosophy and business. He soon discovered that the mind was like a muscle and could be developed. He held a particular interest in reading biographies as they gave him a repertoire of experiences and life’s lessons in overcoming incredible odds.”

“In pursuit of these dreams he purchased three dictionaries to understand words, and practiced pronunciation and speech by listening to British broadcasters on radio who in those early days spoke impeccable English.”

Have you heard about the man who learned to throw javelin through watching videos on YouTube? Julius Yego is a Kenyan track and field athlete who competes in the javelin throw. Nicknamed “Mr. YouTube” because he learned how to throw by watching YouTube videos of javelin athletes, Yego is the African record and Commonwealth record holder for the event with a personal best of 92.72 m. Amazing! This is to tell us that no one has excuses to make regarding their illiteracy and lack of knowledge in their field of work. My own life principle is that anything that is taught in the classroom can be learned outside the classroom through real life practices and learning through available resources. Don’t make excuses for your lack of knowledge. Peter Daniels teaches us that we can self educate and pursue our dreams.

Although he failed three times in business he avoided bankruptcy each time, persevered and met his commitments. For nearly two decades Peter J. Daniels built a thriving business in real estate in Australia with South-East Asian connections and finally sold out to follow other business pursuits. More so, he built a large real estate business in Australia, with Southeast Asian connections.

If Peter Daniels had settled for less in life, I am sure the narrative of his life would have been far from this. In life, we fail and we succeed. The people who keep rising anytime they fall build resilience and go ahead to achieve their intended dreams. We cannot give up at the least resistance. Consider the biblical Nehemiah. He was a cup bearer who returned to Israel after the destruction of the wall of Jerusalem to rebuild it. He did not have it easy because the foreign settlers tried everything possible to stop him but Nehemiah was not ready to give in and eventually built the wall in 52 days. If you succeed in business or your professional life or family life, keep the advice of American leadership expert John C. Maxwell to fail forward.

Making an impact is to cause a change. That’s what Peter Daniels did in his lifetime as a Christian educator, leader, trainer, businessman, speaker and author. The business community has said of him ‘he could motivate an Egyptian Mummy to walk’. Church leaders refer to him as a “missionary to the business world” and a ‘merchant of hope’, and they speak widely of his generosity. He has served on International Boards with some of the world’s greatest intellectual, business, academic, religious, and corporate giants of the 20th and 21st centuries of which his role in Worldwide Leadership Council, and Haggai Institute of Advanced Leadership were prominent.

“He could motivate an Egyptian Mummy to walk.”

If you die, what will be said about you? Who will cry when you die? Yes, you have a crown in heaven but what exactly will men remember you for? Is it as a musician who sings for people to worship God? Is it a writer who wrote bestselling books to educate people? Is it a politician who brought real policy change in people’s lives? Is it a Pastor who faithfully preached the Word of God to disciple people to the stature of maturity in Christ? We must continually think about these things. We must do something to bring smiles on the faces of people.

Peter J. Daniels has been honoured by universities, theological colleges, institutions, governments, businesses and humanitarian organizations from around the world for his entrepreneurial ability and benevolence. What a life well lived?

“The reason why men honour fellow men is because men feel the impact of what men do.”

The reason why men honour fellow men is because men feel the impact of what men do. But I must say that we must not go chasing honour and accolades. Whatever good we do will bring honour and praise to God. Honour is also to reward hard work. When I completed my Masters Degree in Theology and Missions with distinction, my school gave me some cash prize to be enjoyed with my family. I learned something that you can be in the midst of many people but if you work hard and stand out, you will be honoured and rewarded. Let your hard work speak.

“If you work hard and stand out, you will be honoured and rewarded.”

Writing about a man I dearly respect and honour is profound. I enjoy every bit of his messages I have listened to. It is important that we all learn from this man and start living our own lives to honour the name of God. There is no room for excuses.