INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Whether you think of yourself as a deeply spiritual person or not, a mystic is one who seeks to find order in the chaos and collect evidence of that order. If you're the kind of person who sees every strange coincidence, every elegant metaphor, or every pretty rainbow as a sign of something greater, you might begin to feel the presence of a guiding hand in which you place your trust.  Religious mystics place their trust in a higher power, a powerful being that creates and controls the world and the people in it. Sometimes, as in the case of Zen Buddhism, religious mystics will also place their trust in a practice, that asceticism and meditation are the truest way to understand the world. Mystics aren't always religious, though they often are. The writing of quantum physicists and Jungian psychologists often borders on the mystical, the deeper it gets. Whatever system, being, or practice you've found in which to place your trust, place it there. Seek to find order and balance in the world, rather than emphasizing differences and disparities. Look for things you have in common with your enemies. Regardless of your spiritual or religious leanings, it's good to read and study a wide variety of mystical writings, across disciplines and dogmas. Christian writer Thomas Merton spent considerable time studying Zen Buddhism, mphasize experience. What is a mystic? What differentiates a Christian mystic from a regular Christian, or a Buddhist mystic from a regular Buddhist? Across practices, disciplines, and cultures, mystics have one thing in common: a deep personal and spiritual connection to their belief system. To the mystic, a personal experience of spirituality is always more powerful and more important than book-learning or hearsay. Simply going to church isn't enough for the mystic. Avoid the showy materialist trappings of some religions. You don't need an expensive rock garden, koi pond, and meditation pad to be a Buddhist mystic. You don't need a 13th-century crucifix to be a Christian. . Mystics need to center themselves and be fully present at all times. A mystic isn't distracted by electronic devices, stresses, or complex schedules for the day. Instead, the mystic should be focused completely on doing one thing and one thing only. When you're eating lunch, just eat lunch. Focus entirely on nourishing your body, slowing down, enjoying what you eat. When you're reading the newspaper, just focus on learning, reading the words, and understanding the concepts. Put yourself completely into each task. This can be surprisingly difficult, and it won't happen right away. Buzzing text alerts and constant 21st century noise can make it hard to slow down and focus. Try to simplify your life as much as possible. Start small. Put your phone away, except when you actively need it to make a call or send a message. Mystics want personal connections to the spiritual world and the self, not hearsay. Received wisdom and platitudes are made to be questioned by mystics. If you want to develop your mystical connections to the world, both seen and unseen, start asking the big questions. Whatever your religious or spiritual leanings, learn to embrace the big questions:  Why are we here? What does it mean to live a good life? Who am I? What happens when we die? What does death mean to me? Not only is it important to ask the big questions, but to trust that your instincts will lead you to the answers that you seek. Trust in yourself. Develop your intuition and your self-reliance. Eliminate your doubts and trust that you'll have the faith to discover what you're looking for.

SUMMARY: Feel the presence of a guiding hand. Look for the interconnectedness of things around you. . Be present Question everything. Trust your intuition.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Check on your hat within the first hour to make sure the grime is disappearing. Repeat the spot cleaning procedure if you notice any stains that haven't subsided during the soaking process, then let it continue to soak for the remainder of those 2 hours. If you're in a rush, you can shorten your hat's soaking time to about a half hour. Leaving extra soap in your hat could lead to residue and stiffness, both of which will hurt the hat's quality. Rinse the hat off thoroughly under running water until all of the soap is gone. Extra water will make it harder for your hat to dry evenly and completely. Rub the hat dry with a soft towel, and give extra attention to the wettest areas. Dry off the hat with the towel until any dripping has subsided. You can use a mannequin, container of oatmeal, or any object that is tall and round. The idea is to help your hat keep its shape as it dries so it will easily fit on your head later. Roll a soft towel into a ball and stuff it inside your hat to help it keep its shape. This is especially useful for hats that have gone limp after washing, or if you do not have a container on hand to rest your hat on as it dries. The towel will catch any dripping, since you won't be able to get rid of all drippage by toweling the hat off. It may take a few hours for your hat to dry completely.  Plug in a blow dryer and turn it on your hat on the lowest/coolest possible setting. This will hasten the drying process if you're short on time.  If you don't have a blow dryer on hand, a fan is just as effective. Plug in a pedestal fan and aim the head down at your hat. The air flow will help your hat to dry faster.

SUMMARY:
Soak the hat in the sink for 2 hours. Wash the hat off under a warm faucet. Dab away any excess water with a soft towel. Place your hat on top of a round container. Air dry your hat with a towel placed underneath its container.