INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Turn off your phone, television, music devices and anything else that makes sounds or is visual. Distractions are called distractions for a reason. It's because they distract you from yourself. This can be challenging to do, though, in the modern-day world, because stimulating, distracting activities are addicting. But, like any addiction, you have to cut it at its core to get anywhere. In order to start to fully hear the thoughts from your mind, you need your personal space to be completely quiet. If you have the TV blasting and the phone ringing every five minutes, it will be virtually impossible to tune into yourself. You don't need to live a silent life for the rest of your life but only until you see that you have cleared out the troublesome thoughts, many of which have been stored in there for a long time and are now just on repeat. It could take anywhere from three months to one year of practice, but it will definitely be worth it in the end when you see that your mind is crystal-clear and trouble-free! For instance, you may see anxiety, stress, guilt, resentments, grievances, sadness, tension, and worries. An unexamined mind is usually an out-of-control mind filled with negative thoughts. Many mindfulness teachers state that this kind of thinking is from the psychological part of the mind and serve no helpful purpose other than being hurtful and damaging to you and sometimes in how you may see others, too. It's helpful to think of awareness as a kind of fire, and it is through this fire of observation that you burn out old, trapped thoughts and begin to dismantle the much lower frequency, psychological part of the mind. The majority of meditation teachers believe that awareness is the most effective way to achieve lasting peace in the mind versus having it in pieces for so many of one's waking hours. It usually comes as a surprise to those new on the mindfulness path as to how much time is actually spent in the past and future. Many even think that they are being constructive by going back and forth between these two time zones. However, all it really does is consume unnecessary mind energy with very little being accomplished. For the most part, focusing anywhere other than in the present moment is a waste of time. If you try to fight them, they will only grow in power, and you will have fallen victim to the mind's clutches once again. The key is to just watch them without giving them any commentary. Other than the power of observation, you will not need to do anything else because this is, in and of itself, the true power. By guiding your mind into the present, it has no choice but to do exactly that, where you will see that most of the time, everything is more or less okay in your life. You begin to see that many of your thoughts were just phantoms, meaning completely imaginary based on fear and worry. If you think about it, these two states of mind do absolutely nothing except scare you and make matters worse because of how draining they are to your psyche. You will see that, indeed, they try to pull you away from a satisfactory time in your life through an endless stream of unnecessary, negative mental chatter. Thus, you can clearly see how preposterous the mind is when left to its own devices. Until examined closely, many people believe that the majority of their thoughts are useful and constructive. When, in actuality, they are bringing you down. So this particular experiment is a highly effective way to prove that the psychological part of the mind, until one becomes more conscious, consists of a lot of derogatory thinking.

SUMMARY: Reduce as many distractions around you as possible. Notice the different types of thoughts in your mind, many of them painful. Observe how most thoughts relate to the past or future and rarely to the present. Don't resist or judge your thoughts, just observe them impartially. Test how inaccurate the thoughts in your mind can be when everything is going fine in life.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: When it comes time to wash your shoes, remove the insoles and wash them first. In a small bowl, prepare a mixture of warm water and laundry detergent. To wash the shoe insoles, use a sponge or a rag to scrub away the smell, dirt, and stains. Rinse the insoles off with warm water when you've finished scrubbing them with your detergent mixture. Lay them near a window or on a towel to dry. If your insoles are still smelly after washing them, put them in a plastic bag with some baking soda and leave it overnight. If the insoles still smell bad after a night of baking soda, soak them for 2-3 hours in a mixture of vinegar and water. Then, wash the insoles again with soap and water to remove the scent of the vinegar. Many shoes can be washed in the washing machines, including running shoes, sneakers, and most cloth shoes. If your shoes are machine washable, wash them in warm water with strong detergent. After washing, let your shoes air-dry instead of putting them in the dryer. Remove the shoe laces before putting your shoes in the washer. If your shoes are made of suede, leather, plastic, or any other delicate material, do not put them in the washing machine. If you are washing nicer sneakers or shoes made of more delicate materials, wash them by hand instead of in the washing machine. Make a soapy mixture out of warm water and liquid laundry detergent. Use a rag or a soft brush to gently scrub the shoes with this mixture. Once you've scrubbed the shoes with the mixture, get a fresh rag and wipe the shoes down with warm water to rinse the soap away. Leather shoes can be washed by hand. Use a rag to gently scrub the shoes with your soap and water mixture. Suede shoes can be washed by hand, but you must be careful. Use a rag or soft bristled brush, and clean the suede in downward strokes. Brushing/cleaning the suede in one direction will help to lift stains from the material. If you're nervous about washing your suede shoes, then you should take them to a professional cleaner.

SUMMARY: Clean the insoles of your shoes. Use a washing machine on machine washable shoes. Wash your shoes by hand if they are made from nicer materials.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: When you purchase a digital anemometer it will come with an instruction manual. Read through the instructions carefully before you begin using the device. The instructions will provide you with directions for how to set-up and read your anemometer. The anemometer will come with a battery and you will need to install the battery in the back of the device. Unscrew the battery compartment in the back and place the battery inside. The device will likely have a power button on the front. Once the batteries have been installed, you can turn on the device and begin recording the wind speed. Most digital anemometers will have a variety of different measurement options. For example, you could calculate the wind speed in km/hour, mi/hour, ft/second, ft/minute, and knots. Press the unit button in order to scan through the different measurement options and select the one you would like to use.

SUMMARY:
Read the instructions provided. Install the battery. Turn on the device. Choose your preferred measurement setting.