Drift off with this word attention. Make it a boat, step inside, and float down a river with it. What do you see? How do you feel? What kind of journey is it taking you on?

Is it easy to pay attention when you’re fascinated? When you feel compassion for others? How about when you’re bored?

Pay attention to one of the things that occupies you in a state of boredom and open it up, see what’s inside … possibly a universe of stars or a single glittering stone you’ve been struggling to conceal. Tell a story or write a poem about boredom, paying complete attention to how you experience it.

Live with the word attention for a week. Take it around with you everywhere you go. Notice how you feel when you pay attention. Notice when it’s difficult for you to pay attention. Notice the things you want to attend to and the things you’d rather not attend to.

Can you cultivate interests simply by paying attention? Do your interests change? Are you paying attention to things that can help you learn and grow and the things that you love to do?

How many times in your life have you been told to pay attention? Was this a criticism? Was it a way to make you fit in and follow the rules?

Can you focus your attention without expectations or judgment? Can you do it as an experiment or a game, with an interest in exploring the way things are?

Write about any of this or all of this.

Pay attention to the prompts that engage you and ignore the prompts that don’t.

Pay attention to how you feel when you write.

Read more about attention.

See more writing prompts here.