Cover Story
Dr John Demartini
H
e’s read
over 29,738
books, personally
written over
100 books and
created over
75 programs.
He’s surfed
some of the
world’s gnarliest
waves, travels all
over the world,
doesn’t own a
mobile phone –
nor does he drive
and he is one of
the most highly
intelligent and
knowledgeable
men I’ve ever
met.
W
hile this man has
accomplished far above
and beyond what many will
in their lives, he remains
humble.
Dr John Demartini
wasn’t born into an easy
childhood; he was born
with his left arm and leg
turned in – called pigeon
arm and leg – and wore a
brace on both. “I didn’t like
that because people didn’t
want to talk to me or play
with me.”
Cover Story - Dr John Demartini
eet Dr John
Demartini.
Dr Demartini
is one of the
world’s leading
authorities on
human behavior
and personal
development. He
is the founder
of the Demartini
Institute, a
private research
and education
organisation
covering multiple
aspects of human
development.
He remembers at age 4
begging his dad to let him
out of his braces. His dad
told him,
“If I take you out of the
braces and your arm or leg
gets crooked again, you’re
going to have to put them
back on. But if you keep
your arm and leg straight,
I’ll let you stay out of
them.”
In that moment, Dr
Demartini made sure that
he would keep his left arm
and leg straight.“To prove
it, I’d run everywhere,”
he says.
Hearing this story warms
my heart and immediately
my heart connects to
his. I just love hearing
stories about those who
rise above what seems to
be impossible, which also
reminds me of how blessed
I truly am.
As our conversation
continued, Dr Demartini
spoke about whatever
challenges we are given;
they support us to be more
of who we are.
“That
childhood void
or constraint
was actually
perfect, even
though at
the time I
didn’t like it.
If I wouldn’t
have had that
constraining
challenge
I wouldn’t
have desired
to be free and
wouldn’t have
broken through
my boundaries.
I now live all
over the world.
The universe is
my playground,
every country
is a room in
my house
and every
city is another
platform to
share my heart
and soul. So
I’m thankful for
that.”
Cover Story
Dr John Demartini
After
this first
constraint
came
many other
challenges.
Rising
above
these other
additional
constraints
weren’t as
simple as
keeping
his arm
and leg
straight.
H
e sucked his
thumb and had bucked
teeth. He failed to read
and write properly as
a young boy, despite
being enrolled in
speech therapy since
the age of three. In
fact his first grade
teacher was adamant,
he wouldn’t amount
to much and informed
his parents.
his best to immerse
himself in what he
was able to do, and
this was baseball. Yet
again, life gave him
more than he was
bargaining for at such
a young age.
“I became really
good at baseball,
but as a pitcher if I
struck a batter out
and humiliated them
they or their low
“Your son is never
going to read and write socioeconomic gang
member buddies,
and won’t go very far
it should read gang
in life, or amount to
member buddies,
very much, but he’s
good at running so put it should read gang
member buddies,
him into sports.”
they would come after
me the next day with
The only way that Dr
knives or chains.
Demartini made it
through elementary
In situations as
school was by asking
these, people either
“the smart kids”
turn inward or they
what they learnt and
rise. Most people
what they got out of
in life accept the
a reading. “I learned
circumstances that
to ask questions that
have been laid upon
would massage their
them. However, for Dr
ego so they’d tell
Demartini, he again
me what I needed to
saw these experiences
know.”
as an opportunity to
once again rise to his
The challenges kept
infinite potential.
coming.
His family soon
“That was necessary
after moved from
because it shifted me
Houston, Texas to
to go from baseball
the country near
to surfing.” And so,
Richmond, Texas and
surfing became the
the nearest town was
next sport, which he
13 miles away, with
would engross
the nearest person a
himself into.
mile away. He never
liked it here but he did
Cover Story - Dr John Demartini
I’m amazed to hear
Dr. Demartini tell me how
he left home 2 months
before his 14th birthday.
“I lived in people’s
homes, in a park, in a
bowling alley, a restaurant
that was 24hours, cars
wherever.”
I
often wonder how such
experiences shape an individual; I
mean I couldn’t imagine living out
of home at 14. In saying that, I know
that human beings have the ability
to adapt and no doubt, if I were in
Demartini’s position, I somehow
would’ve made it work.
Even after moving out from home,
he didn’t give up on school.
“I tried to go to school back in
Houston, but I eventually dropped
out.”
Once again, it proved to be too
challenging and instead he took up
a job and saved up enough money to
be able to “fly to Hawaii – because
that’s where the big waves were.”
When he arrived he lived under
a bridge, a park bench, then in a
bathroom, an abandoned car and
then a tent and spent his days
surfing.
“I was a long-haired hippy surfer
that didn’t do anything but surf.”
Hearing that makes me smile,
because now if you were to look at
Dr Demartini, it’s such a contrast to
his tie and suit. Despite his change
of clothes, you can still feel the soul
surfer come to life the moment we
talk about the water.
Cover Story - Dr John Demartini
hat I admire
in his story
so far is how
with every
wave life has
sent over
the horizon,
Dr Demartini
has paddled
his little heart
out and
attempted to
surf it. He’s
been able to
connect to
something
within and
do what he
loved and
what made
him feel alive
– he didn’t
dwell on what
was wrong
with his life,
he simply
embraced the
moment and
lived it to his
best ability.
A
nd now, the plot
thickens…
Living out his bohemian surfer
life saw him “eating materials
that were growing [naturally]”
and little did he know at the
time, they were also highly toxic
and hallucinogenic.
One day he was out surfing and
almost died. His diaphragm
stopped!
Luckily he made it out of the
water winding up in his tent
unconscious and “nearly dead”.
“A lady found me, gave me
fluids and took me to a health
food store.” She fixed him
up and assisted him in his
recovery.
This was the turning point,
the moment in his life where
something bigger than him
would ignite a spark deep within
and his life would change.
“As I was leaving the health
food store, I saw a flyer
saying there was a special
guest speaker giving a talk.
Something about this flyer said
I ought to go.”
Dr Demartini turned up to the
class a couple days later to find
another 35 people and a yogi.
“The special guest speaker
Paul C. Bragg began to speak
and I had never heard anyone
speaking like this before” Dr
Demartini says.
Cover Story
Dr John Demartini
Cover Story - Dr John Demartini
He was an elderly man with white hair and big shiny
teeth. He said: we have a body, mind and soul; the
body must be guided by the mind, the mind must be
directed by the soul to maximise who we are – we’re
here to do extraordinary things, set goals for our
community, our family, our city, our state, our country,
our world and beyond. What you think about, what
you affirm…how you see and feel about yourself,
all have an impact on you and you have something
extraordinary to give to the world.
While
today we
are more
aware of
the mind,
body, spirit
connection,
and there
is a lot of
literature
on the
topic,
back then
everything
felt “new”
to him.
Cover Story
Dr John Demartini
“That night for the
first time in my life
I thought, maybe
I actually could be
intelligent?”
The yogi continued:
“Tonight I want you
to decide what you
want to dedicate your
life to.”
“What I’d really like
to be is intelligent;
a smart person.” Dr
Demartini said to
himself. His vision of
what an intelligent
person looked like,
was a teacher. So
that’s when he
decided, “I want to
be a teacher, study
universal laws in
relation to the body,
mind and spirit and
travel the world and
step foot on every
country on the face of
the Earth.”
The yogi took the
class through a guided
meditation to where
Dr Demartini saw
himself “speaking in
front of thousands of
people.” Demartini’s
eyes soften, “I just
went out to make that
image come to life.”
Again I smile deeply as
I feel the authenticity
behind his decision.
Before returning back
to Texas, Dr Demartini
studied with the
teacher Paul Bragg for
3 weeks, and once he
returned home, he set
off and learnt how to
read a dictionary.
He studied and read
more. He took a high
school equivalency
test, guessed and
somehow passed, then
a college entrance
exam and miraculously
passed and then took
his first junior college
exam and miserably
failed. This failure
really knocked him
to the ground – as
it does many. As he
recounted the story
to me I could feel the
despair and sadness
that consumed him in
that moment.
Gosh those moments
– the ones when your
first attempt falls
flat – they can be
heartbreaking.
His mother found
him crying on the
floor. “Son, what
happened?” she said.
He explained the
situation.
Now despite whether
it’s family, friends or
a complete stranger,
the beautiful thing
I see in life is when
another human has
the capacity to reach in
and give light to your
soul in the darkest
moments.
His mother shared
with him some of the
most supportive words
I think a parent can
tell their child:
Cover Story: Dr John Demartini
W
hether you become a great
teacher and philosopher and travel the
world, or whether you return to Hawaii to
become a great surfer on the North Shore
– or whether you become a peg-leg bum
on the street, your father and I will love
you no matter what.
Yes, I know, some of you
probably like to be in
control and delegating
may seem rather
daunting. Dr Demartini
addressed this beautifully.
Wow! When someone comes
in with that amount of love, it’s
impossible for magic not to take
place.
And the magic did happen,
Demartini picked himself up and
said, “I am going to master these
things called reading, writing and
speaking and I’m not going to let
any human being stop me.”
Today whenever he has 5 seconds,
he is researching, writing or
teaching.
“These are the things I
spontaneously love doing.” He
doesn’t need to be reminded or
motivated to do these, he naturally
finds himself doing this.
This sparked my next question.
“Do you feel there is a difference
between motivation and
inspiration?” I asked.
“Inspiration is from within. If you
need motivation, you’re doing
something that’s not truly inspiring
and authentically you. I don’t need
motivation to do the things that are
important to me, but I’ve learned to
delegate the things I don’t love to
do.”
That’s why today he has other
people – specialists in their field
doing the other essential things he
doesn’t love to do. I like how simple
he makes it. “If I did them all I
wouldn’t get those most meaningful
ones done by me.”
“Do the one or few most
inspiring and meaningful
actions each day that
are most important and
productive, and delegate
the rest of the actions
away. Give a chance to
others to rise up and do
what they are capable
of doing and let them
master their jobs and
shine. If you think you can
do a better job than the
person you’re hiring and
you keep tampering with
their accountabilities,
you will devalue yourself
and block what you and
they are all capable of
accomplishing.”
Pretty sinchy, huh?
Now I know this might
trigger some of you to
raise your eyebrows and
go, “But…it’s easy for him
because he has money or
resources…” May I remind
you of the challenges
that Dr Demartini has
had up until this point.
Your circumstances have
nothing to do with what
you can and cannot do –
it’s your perception; it’s
who you think you are.
“Do you think people
focus on the how?”
I asked.
Cover Story
Dr John Demartini
W
hen
the why is
big enough,
the ‘how’s’
take care of
themselves.
It’s important
to know the
how’s but if you
know the why’s
then you’ll find
the how’s. If
you have a big
enough reason
for doing it,
you’ll discover
the know
how.
Cover Story
Dr John Demartini
H
ere is
where most people
limit themselves.
They don’t allow
themselves to be the
fullest expression
of who they are
because the belief in
the thoughts, ideas
and limitations bear
greater weight. And
you know what?
That’s okay. Personal
growth is a journey;
it’s a process of
awakening and
realising our infinite
potential, rather
than arriving at it in
the blink of an eye.
Without the tough
terrain Dr Demartini
experienced, he
wouldn’t be the same
person he is
today.
If there’s any
part of you that
believes you do not
have something
extraordinary to offer
or you don’t believe
in your own highest
potential, then listen
up:
“All that means
is that you’re not
congruent with
you’re highest value.
Whenever you’re
setting a goal
that’s not aligned
with your highest
value, and you
expect to live doing
something other
than what aligns with
your highest value,
you have a fantasy
and every fantasy
creates a nightmare
and phobia, the fear
is just feedback to let
you know the goal you
have is not yours.” Dr
Demartini says.
“Once your goals
or dreams become
truly yours and
are congruent
and realistic, you
don’t have fear.
You’re acting,
you’re overcoming
challenges; you don’t
sweat over challenges,
and you become
inspired by them.
If you’re beating
yourself up, you’re
actually also building
yourself up to try to
be somebody you’re
not.”
By connecting to
your true dream and
the very thing that
inspires your socks
off, you naturally
and more effortlessly
become a leader – the
leader of your own
life.
Cover Story - Dr John Demartini
reat leaders
have something
they want to make a
difference in. A true
leader knows where
they are going.
They are structuring
their lives to take
high priority actions.
D
o you know what it
is that you desire? Or is
your focus simply on the
problems you ‘wish’ you
hadn’t and the things
you ‘wish’ you had. Stop
wishing.
Start acting and that’s when
you will make the biggest
difference – for yourself and
the wider community.
The phone rang and we had
a moments break.
When Dr Demartini
returned and sat down in
front of me, I blurted out,
“Do you still surf?”
I think he was rather
surprised, I mean for the
most part I don’t think a lot
of people are interviewing to
know about surfing.
“Pardon me…do I still what?
Surf?” he replied.
12 ft faces. My muscle tone
wasn’t as good as it should
be for surfing and I think
“I don’t full time surf as
people thought I was a little
I used to.” He grinned. “I
crazy going out but I did get
may get to surf this year, as I some good surf.”
live on a condominium ship
that frequently stops at surf I’m in awe and totally
spots around the world.”
impressed.
Demartini used to surf
with surf legends, Laird
By now, the little kid in
Hamilton, Tom Carroll and
Dr Demartini is frothing
Tim Baker, the author of
as he goes back over the
experience. “Normally, if I
High Surf. He’s been in
was going to surf, I’d give
3 surf movies, some surf
myself 10 days – 3 days to
magazines and in a surf
get over wax rash [laughs]
book.
and another 4 for my muscle
“Are you still as gun ho with tone and I’d rip the last few
days. You don’t lose the
surfing?” I asked.
ability to surf, but paddling
endurance against the big
“In Porto Rico last year, I
waves that you do, you’ve
wasn’t in the best shape,
gotta surf everyday.”
I went out and it was 12ft
I’m completely enthralled
faces and it was a little
by his story – it’s still so
crazy…I needed to work up
surreal imagining him as
to it but I didn’t have time,
the hippy-surfer.
so I went out and surfed
I saw a sparkle in his eye as
I responded with “Yes”.
I
wonder whether fear
still comes into play as he
paddles out amongst the
water beasts?
“Has it? Absolutely! I remember surfing
Sunset Beach with the peaks shifting.
There are two places at Sunset, which
are like bowls, when it gets to 40ft faces
it closes out. I was scratching as hard as
I could up the face of the wave, barely
made it with the offshore wind and then
I thought, “Ohh” as I looked up and saw
there was a next one, and behind that
one another was feathering.”
you’re about to experience in the near
or far future through your senses or
imagination more negatives than
positives. And so, if you go in there and
find the benefits and the positives to
balance out the negatives, the fear is
gone. I dissolve fear every weekend in
my Breakthrough Experience program.
I don’t know anyone who has a fear who
I cannot dissolve.”
“This is not a good sign,” I thought.
This is one of those days I’m going to
have to take off and I may have 5 people
on this wave or I’m going to get caught
inside. So on the second one I figured
I’d take the third one, I came down and
the whole thing went over. I didn’t get
hurt and my board luckily didn’t get
taken in, it popped up again but as the
next wave had already broken, it was
white water [everywhere] and it took
me in. I had a very long swim. That was
pretty scary.”
What I appreciated about Dr Demartini
was that despite his schedule calling for
him to be on the stage, he sat with me
and gave me another 8 minutes, where I
felt I connected and witnessed that fun,
long-haired surfer and the side, which
I’m sure only a handful of people get to
see.
No matter who I interview, or what the
topic is, there is always a thread, which
links back to the hearts of each reader.
I asked Dr Demartini how he could
translate his message so those who
don’t surf, could make it relevant for
their own lives.
“Fear is simply an assumption that
While I loved his tales of big waves,
near death experiences and remarkable
determination to live out his infinite
potential, I asked him about the one
piece of wisdom he could impart with
the Aspire audience, and this is
what he said:
Cover Story
Dr John Demartini
Cover Story
Dr John Demartini
“The greatest
difference you’re
going to make is
when you’re
simply you.
The real authentic you
is unique. Everybody
wants to be loved
and appreciated for
who they are. By you
being who you are,
you’ll draw people
into your life and
you’ll be a leader.
Your original ideas
that emerge when
you’re authentic like
that; it automatically
makes the difference
that you’re wanting.
You’ve got to give
yourself permission
to be yourself
and do something
extraordinary with
yourself.”