// On a Wing and a Prayer by Kushal Choksi

I've read quite a few articles about how a certain event ended up changing someone's life. There's a moment of reckoning, a paradigm shift and a certain urgency to bring about a change in the current situation. For some, spirituality comes calling. On a Wing and a Prayer is one such memoir which explores spirituality, all the while addressing Choksi's questions which are surprisingly candid.

At the time of the 9/11 attacks, Choksi was a successful trader working for Goldman Sachs at the World Trade Center. He lives a comfortable life and has an understanding partner with a sparkling future just within his reach. And then the attacks happen. Although he makes it out unscathed, there's already a monumental change unraveling inside his heart. Watching the horrors unfold with his own eyes, he finds it unbearable to concentrate on anything else. Somehow he finds himself attending meditation classes with his new friend Banka. Little did he know that this was just a beginning to a rather long and fulfilling spiritual journey.

This book is a tremendous tribute to Sri Sri Ravishankar and alongside Choksi's journey into this spiritual world, he also writes about Gurudev's past. Over a period of time, he forms a solid friendship and teacher-disciple relationship with Gurudev. As Choksi explores the purpose of life and heals from the trauma, there's a visible shift in his ability to perceive the world through new lens.

This book would undoubtedly be a treat to those who enjoy reading about philosophy or spirituality. Although I wasn't taken by the writing style, I do appreciate his journey through life. He doesn't impose his lifestyle and decisions on others but rather explains why he chose this path.

There's a reason why things happen in a certain manner. How we perceive them and act upon it decides the course of our lives.