What is Happiness?

2020 has been a year of profound sadness, both at the colossal loss of life and at the loss of the past ways-of-life on a planetary scale.

Here are a few things I think my family and my extended family at Syntasa did have to be thankful for 2020:

Education

With multiple lockdowns during 2020, our children have suffered in varying degrees on a year of not meeting friends and teachers in-person and having those rich experiences that they should have had in 2020.

I am thankful for all the teachers, assistant teachers, staff, and the administration of St. Christopher's The Hall School in Bromley, and countless schools and education professionals around our neighborhoods for taking it upon themselves to figure out creative ways forward 2020. Tanvi & I are humbled by the proverbial village it takes to raise the kids.

Family

For many perpetual migrants like us, whose families are spread over multiple continents, the biggest brunt of travel restrictions from 2020 has been on the mental wellbeing of our parents and siblings that haven't been able to see their nieces, nephews, and grandchildren nearly as much as they should have.

I am thankful for 2020 to bring about a dramatic personal digital adoption, with Zoom Teams and other Video calling apps becoming the main ways we've interacted throughout the year. Interestingly, digitally I believe our families have met each other way more than what we would have when we were to meet once or twice a year with each other pre-2020.

Livelihoods

It is a stark economic reality that continues to emerge out of the 2020s crisis.

I am incredibly fortunate and grateful to be part of the Digital Data and AI industry that will play a critical role in the recovery of world economic growth for the next decade or even more.

Syntasa management has been pragmatic and deliberate with our financials, the benefit of which our company has reaped in 2020. We have survived C19 without having to do take drastic measures like head-count reduction, and deliver even stronger Customer Success across the board. Our customers have shown incredible confidence in us and doubled, even tripled their investments & commitments with us for 2021 and 2022!

Motivation

If 2020 has brought the worse in many of our lives, I hope 2021 brings the best.

Dare I say, I am happy for all the things 2020 has taught me. I hope we are able to live more mindfully, sustainably, and productively through 2021, and that 2021 will become the year that generations from now will recall as paving the new way of life.

Happy New Year 2021!