6 . Critical thinking can be described as disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded, and informed by evidence. While that seems to describe the ability of many professionals, some leaders in organizations today have a strong feeling that this ability is fading.     1    

Be a continuous learner. Learners have a natural sense of curiosity about the world and their profession. They read and talk to people.     2     This can come from reading, talking to subject matter experts, listening to lectures online, or attending conferences. The more they know, the more evidence they have to consider when making a decision.

Make the right decision for the majority. Critical thinkers put their egos aside and think about what is best for the overall organization.     3     However, their goal is seeking to understand and then making a clear and rational decision that is best for the majority.

Listen and consider unconventional opinions.     4     They don’t like the phrase “that is the way we have always done it.” They also see that collaboration with their team, their profession, and sometimes their competitors will bring about the best solutions, and they are OK with that.

    5     Critical thinkers develop a skill for explaining to others why they came to a specific conclusion. Others can follow their reasoning and can understand their thinking. They are willing to change their views when they are provided with more information that allows greater understanding.

7 . Romantic Spas

Spas are always considered to be good for your health. When you plan to find one to refresh yourself, no doubt, the following must be the top on your list.

As you float in the large, blue pool, head tipped back to look at the star-like lights above, that amazing moment will sink in at this country getaway. It’s a must for history lovers too, as the 16th century building at the heart of the hotel has been expertly restored and is surrounded by beautiful scenery. The focus at the Corran Spa is on aromatherapy (芳香疗法) .

With both indoor and outdoor pools, visitors have a lot of choices when it comes to taking a swim, and the ice cave and ballroom pool with underwater music keep things exciting. From the outside, the 19th century house looks more like something from a classic novel. With beautiful surrounding gardens, taking a walk could prove just as relaxing as the spa experience itself. The nearby Michelin star restaurant, Latymer, adds fine dining to a day of romance, but be sure to book in advance; it’s a popular spot.

Spa Themes is great for those seeking a weekend focused on privacy. It is known for its diverse themed spas so it’s also ideal if you’re looking for a change from the more traditional spas. You could sample the Willy Wonka Chocolate-themed spa. which includes a chocolate chip body treatment alongside a host of sweet treats, or escape the February cold with Paradise Beach package, which will have you relaxing in a steam room full of pina colada smell.

9 . Here’s an all-too-familiar situation: You excitedly packed for your beach trip. Luckily, you remembered all the necessities: socks, underwear, a phone charger and your passport, etc. But upon arrival, you realized you forgot to bring your toothbrush. In a new study, researchers suggest offloading important to-do items — for example, by setting reminders on your phone — could clear brain space to better remember the little things, like your toothbrush.

To prove this, the researchers developed a memory task to be played on a touch screen computer. The test was undertaken by 158 volunteers aged between 18 and 71. They were shown 12 numbered circles on the screen, and had to remember to drag some of these to the left and some to the right. The number of circles that they remembered to drag to the correct side decided their rewards at the end of the experiment. One side was “high value’, meaning that remembering to drag a circle to this side was worth 10 times as much money as remembering to drag a circle to the other “low value” side.

Volunteers performed this task 16 times. They had to use their own memory to remember at half of the trials and they were allowed to set reminders on the external digital devices for the other half.

The researchers found volunteers tended to use the digital devices to store details of the high-value circles. And, when they did so, their memory for those circles was improved by 18%. “What was unexpected was that their memory for low-value circles was also improved by 27%, even in those who had never set any reminders for low-value circles,” said Sam Gilbect.

However, results also showed a potential cost to using reminders. When reminders were taken away, the volunteers remembered the low-value circles better than the high-value ones. “Far from causing digital dementia (痴呆), using a memory device can even improve our memory for information that we never saved. But we need to be careful that we back up the most important information. Otherwise, if a memory tool fails, we could be left with nothing but less important   information in our own memory,” Gilbert said.

It snowed for days. Everything was frozen solid. As we hadn’t the heating in our classroom, most of us wore thick and warm clothes. Then, by chance I discovered under Lucas’ dirty woolen coat, there was just a semi-sleeved shirt.

It was so strange that I couldn’t help wondering whether Lucas was crazy to make such a choice. I told this to the boys in my class. “How stupid!” We all ran to see Lucas and jokingly pulled of his coat. Lucas stepped back, shaking with both cold and anger. I saw tears welled into his eyes.

When I went back home, I told mom “the stupid choice” Lucas made.

Mom fell silent. Then she made a phone call. The next day, she told me to bring a package to the school. “Give it to Lucas. Tell him to put on the clothes in it.”

“Why?” As a fourth-grader, I wasn’t wise enough to see something hidden behind. It was years later that I understood that Lucas’ family had the basics, but there was little money for much else beyond food and shelter.

Mom hugged me and said softly, “Guess why a hungry person doesn’t eat?”

“Because he can’t get any food to eat.” I answered loudly.

“Exactly.” Mom said, “So, why doesn’t Lucas wear thick and warm sweater?”

It all clicked into place.

It made me feel guilty. Mom said it was unkind to make fun of disadvantaged friends. And mom also told me to “see” through my heart, but not just through my eyes. I wondered “How?”

At the end of the term, the teacher told us we were going to take a class picture as, for some reason, we would break up when we stepped into the fifth grade. Twenty-two students lined up in three rows and faced the camera with happy smiles. The teacher told us anyone who paid a dollar would bring a class picture back home. I could hardly wait to get my first class picture.

Then suddenly, I thought of Lucas.

Lucas was frozen in shock when the teacher handed him that class picture.