“Sometimes in tragedy we find our life’s purpose. The eye sheds a tear to find its focus.” ~Robert Brault
“Lay still. We think both your arms are broken.”
I obeyed the police officer and stopped struggling to rise from the hard, cold pavement.
An ambulance soon had me in emergency, where I discovered that my problem was a lot worse than broken arms.
My right arm had to be amputated. My left arm was paralyzed. I had no more use of my arms.
I laughed my way through my long hospital stay.
No one could understand how a man who had lost his arms could laugh so happily.
I couldn’t explain it to anyone, but I was feeling a vast sense of relief. My old way of life had been stripped away in an instant.
My family had always worked as loggers or fishermen, and before the accident, I felt stuck emotionally and unable to leave my blue collar social group. What they saw as disaster, I saw as liberating. I knew I would never have to use a chainsaw to cut trees again.
At thirty years of age, I had been given a whole new life.
I was free. Free to create the life I really wanted to live.
Maybe you can gain your freedom without waiting for disaster to strike.
Take a good look at your life. Are you really doing exactly what you want to do in your heart of hearts? If you’re not, you may get a wakeup call like I did.
Finding Purpose
There was a lot of time in the hospital to think about what I really wanted to do. More than anything else, I wanted to write.
My California state rehabilitation counselor didn’t agree. He didn’t think I could make a living writing. So I agreed to a business program at state university.
Once enrolled, I took all the business classes to keep him happily supporting me while I also took all the writing courses to keep me happy.
Writing all those papers meant a lot of pecking away at a keyboard with a chopstick gripped firmly between my teeth, but I knew what I wanted.
Once you know what you want, you’ll also discover the fortitude to make your dream come true.
Money Sidetracks Me
After university, I discovered that my counselor had been right. Nobody wanted to hire a disabled person to write or do anything else.
With a wife and two small children, I had to find a way to get money quick.
A radical old dude from Canada took me under his wing. We wound up in Tokyo, where he showed me how to busk. All I had to do was make a show on a busy street corner, and people passing by dropped money into my tin cup.
A lot of money. Hundreds of dollars an hour.
You see, in Asia, begging is a traditional occupation for the disabled. My highly visible disability gave me a license to beg in any of Asia’s newly rich mega cities.
The money poured in.
I soon had a house in the city, a farm in the country, and a new car for my wife to drive our kids to private schools in.
But happiness was gone.
My wife didn’t like being married to a crippled beggar. She welcomed the money, but she tried to hide me away from her friends and family. Divorce wasn’t long coming.
I also suffered terribly from severe chronic pain in both arms.
Powerful tranquilizers were the only treatment modern medicine could offer me. I could feel how slow and stupid my once brilliant mind had become under the cloud of drugs.
I wasn’t writing, and I felt like I was losing the ability to ever write again.
Money had sidetracked me.
Don’t get sidetracked.
Doors Open
Then, fourteen years after my accident, I met Remedia.
She saw from across a crowded room how much pain I was in. Saying nothing, she simply began massaging the pain out of my shoulders and arms.
It felt like she had magic coming out of her fingers—magic that dissolved away all my pain.
Remedia had been born with the ability to heal, but had never studied it formally. She just used her gift whenever she saw a person in need.
I was fascinated.
We started traveling all over Asia to learn more about healing energy. Soon, we knew enough to start giving healing sessions. It wasn’t long before we were teaching too.
Joy and purpose returned to my life.
I was writing our course materials. I was keeping a journal. Most importantly of all, I was actively helping other people.
I wasn’t a crippled beggar anymore, able only to give people a humble “Thank you.”
Now, I could give something back to all those who had helped me for so many years.
Then, something even more momentous happened.
We met Krishna Kantha, Thailand’s living Saint. He kindly invited us to stay at his retreat center for a month.
Krishna has magic coming out of his hands too. Only Krishna’s magic opens and heals minds. Krishna opened the world of meditation for us by giving us instant access to the deepest states of meditation.
During repeated visits, he taught us how to open minds like he does. Then he said, “Go to India. You need to be in India.”
Years later, we’re still in India. We’re still growing spiritually, and we’re both radically joyful.
Remedia is living her life purpose of healing and helping all whom she meets.
I’m living my life purpose of teaching meditation and writing about it. I’ve pecked out four books published on Amazon, and I keep two websites going—all with my trusty chopstick.
My Advice for You?
When life slaps you upside the head, get serious about laughing, having some fun, and figuring out exactly what it is that you feel passionate about doing.
Then start doing it.
Your radical dude from Canada, a Remedia, or a Krishna will appear and open doors for you. But you have to be actively helping yourself first.
When help comes, don’t miss it because what has come is different than your vision of what you want.
I almost missed the radical dude because he was dressed in old, dirty clothes.
I almost missed Remedia because she has no education and speaks broken English.
And try some meditation. It really helps.
Photo by Luz Adriana Villa

About Richard Crown
You can discover more about Richard Crown, meditation & healing at HowtoMeditate-n-Heal.org Free I Love Meditation Course and E-book, How to Meditate & Heal With Love.
I seriously admire your courage and the hard fought battle with life. #Respect I have plenty in life but i still complain and whine . And recently I started meditating recently but I cannot concentrate and get distracted easy ,any advice would be grateful. I hope and wish you well for the rest of your life. And again WOW!!
this article is a gift. thank you!
WOW Richard. So inspiring and courageous. Thanks for sharing your story! Bernadette 🙂
I love your unshakeable spirit Richard! Not many people have the courage to see the bright side of things; you took lemons and made lemonade. You are truly inspiring; thank you for sharing your story.
Canadians have such beautiful views on the world and spirituality.
What a great post!
Good for you for taking a leap of faith that produced such a different life path.
A great story, but I couldn’t help wondering what happened to your kids when you went off with Remedia to find yourself??
you have officially eliminated all my excuses.
life has a way of equalizing, evening itself out. Did you pine for a different life so extremely that your arms had to be taken?
incredible story – and what a strong mission you have! very inspiring!
“You see, in Asia, begging is the traditional occupation of the disabled.”
Really, dude, really? No, it isn’t. Stop making up traditions. Like anywhere else, beggars beg because they’re either not fulfilled by social services, they’re threatened by organized criminals, or they don’t know where to go. What made you come up with such a ridiculous assumption?
Truly inspiring post, story, and experience. Thank you for sharing your journey through it’s challenges, vulnerability, and joy! I am so glad that you made it to joy! 🙂 And I love when you said…”When help comes, don’t miss it because what has come is different than your vision of what you want.” Thank you for sharing this message, and showing that dreams can come true no matter what the circumstances!! 🙂 🙂
Yes!
Thank you for reminding us to focus on what makes us happy…inspiration is what leads us to greatness.
Appreciating you, Richard. 🙂
And I appreciate your kind words of support. You made me feel good.
Namaste
Wow!
You got it. It’s the joy that well up inside you that changes everything.
Namaste
I’m chuckling as I read your comment. In most Asian countries there are no social services like in the West. So the disabled hit the streets -just as they have for centuries. Maybe that’s a “tradition”.
Anyway, it’s great money and the cops generally leave you alone.
Namaste
Good question. I had plenty of time to visit my kids and money to continue supporting them (and Remedia’s son) as long as they stayed in school. Remedia gets on well with everyone, so no problems there. Today my daughter has 4 children and lives in Thailand. My son manages a Burger King in America.
We visit on Skype
Yes. A different life is an interesting life.
Spirit is the all important ingredient. With it, you can triumph.
Thanks for your supportive comment.
You’re welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed
Doing meditation daily is the most important. Our free meditation course covers the basics.
This hits the nail right on the head. I don’t think I could have read a more perfect post! I feel like I’ve been going through a LOT over the course of the past year but somehow feel the most fulfilled that I have felt in my entire life! I wish I could contribute some advice as to how I am achieving this state of mind, but instead just have the reassurance that if you just try and look at the bright side of things and keep a positive outlook on things, you too can possibly achieve an incredibly calm and happy state of mind even if you never had been able to before.
I say this as someone who suffered with depression for the majority of my life even when things were going seemingly well. I was so depressed that I tried to kill myself as a teen. Now I am INCREDIBLY happy as I type this one handed (broken wrist) and have recently been diagnosed with epilepsy (I get the full on black out convulsions)!! It is severely taxing on your energy reserve and the postictal phase can be quite painful. And those are just a couple of the “negative” experiences I’ve been going through this year… Happiness is not dependent on your experiences as I once thought, but rather your outlook on life.
Goodluck and happiness to all!