The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself. Henry Miller

That which you pay attention to grows.

According to Learned Optimism author Marty Seligman.

Whatever we focus upon actually wires our neurons.

For example, pessimistic people see setbacks and unhappy events as Personal (It's worst for me), Pervasive (Everything is now worse) and Permanent (It will always be this way) .

 Yet, with practice, he found that we can learn to focus more attention on the positive possibilities in situations to craft a more optimistic life story.

 Consciously changing what you pay attention to can rewire your brain from a negative orientation to a positive one.

 "Attention shapes the brain," as Rick Hanson says in Buddha's Brain.

Learning to become conscious of  how we are paying attention is an
 amazing tool in shaping  our life experience.

One of the best ways to develop attentional skills is to learn a meditative art.

 But be aware that this may become an addiction !

Since learning to pay attention while learning T'ai chi I find myself constantly searching for ways to improve the quality and scope of my attention.

This has led to all sorts of  ' mind  ' adventures  Open  Focus  training being one of the most insightful and rewarding.

Having a life is an amazing opportunity and learning attentional skill is a sure way to ensure that we make the most of this experience.

Finally I can't resist sharing  -

Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.
Albert Einstein