The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted perceptions of success from traditional metrics like career and wealth to the importance of well-being, social connections, and personal fulfilment. Leading theories by Maslow, Sen, and Csikszentmihalyi support this broader, more nuanced understanding of success, emphasizing basic needs, capabilities, flow, and the community's essential role in our lives.

Ugadi teaches key leadership lessons of preparation, gratitude, and adaptability, echoing theories from Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard, the Positive Psychology movement, and Agile Leadership. While celebrating, leaders learn the importance of planning, appreciating teams, and being flexible, yet are reminded to balance these qualities with action, sincerity, and clear direction.

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank underscores the fragility of financial institutions and challenges the expansionist mindset, highlighting the need for regulatory oversight, critical evaluation of irrational exuberance, and a balanced approach to growth. Analyzing it through economic and psychological theories reveals systemic risks and the importance of sustainable development strategies.

Despite theories like negativity bias and learned helplessness suggesting an inherent lean towards pessimism, strategies like mindfulness, gratitude, and reframing thoughts offer a pathway out of negative thinking. Embracing life's challenges, as advised by Nietzsche and Epictetus, can foster a more positive, controlled, and meaningful existence.

Exploring the tension between inclusivity and exclusivity in higher education, this discussion delves into how access to learning is a battleground of equality versus privilege. Drawing on insights from thinkers like bell hooks and Paulo Freire, it underscores the imperative of dismantling barriers to foster a more equitable academic landscape.

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed social interaction, fostering a landscape of fear, isolation, and suspicion. Theories by Ulrich Beck and Zygmunt Bauman illuminate this shift towards a risk-averse, transactional society, exacerbated by digital detachment and misinformation. Recognizing these changes is crucial for fostering a more inclusive future.

The quest to cure brain diseases embodies a Sisyphean challenge, hindered by the brain's vast complexity and plasticity. Despite the daunting task, advances in genetics, neuroscience, and immunotherapy offer hope. This multi-disciplinary approach fuels optimism for future breakthroughs in understanding and treating these enigmatic disorders.