--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Pay as much attention to the things that…" description: "\"Pay as much attention to the things that are working positively in your life as you do to the things that give you trouble.\" — H. Jackson Brown, Jr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/h-jackson-brown-jr-1456_attention_pay-as-much-attention-to-the-things-that_239534.png" --- # Pay as much attention to the things that are working… ![“Pay as much attention to the things that are working positively in your life as you do to the things that give you trouble.” quote by H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/h-jackson-brown-jr-1456_attention_pay-as-much-attention-to-the-things-that_239534.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/h-jackson-brown-jr-1456_attention_pay-as-much-attention-to-the-things-that_239534.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/h-jackson-brown-jr-1456_attention_pay-as-much-attention-to-the-things-that_239534.png) > “Pay as much attention to the things that are working positively in your life as you do to the things that give you trouble.” [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Focus on positive aspects as much as you address problems, balancing attention to nurture growth. **In simple terms:** Balance attention between positives and negatives. Key Takeaway Give equal focus to strengths and challenges. Themes balance positivity growth Mood optimistic thoughtful Type motivational practical When to use this quote - personal development - team management - mental health - conflict resolution Key Concepts mindfulness resilience Questions to Reflect On - What positives are you overlooking? - How can you improve negative aspects constructively? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on positives can ignore necessary fixes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Attention Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention-things-250342/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Pay attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay-attention/) [Positive thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-thinking/) [Positively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positively/) [Positively Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positively-life-2404622/) [Things Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-trouble-291409/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble/) [Working Positively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-positively-2404621/) ## Related quotes > [It feels good to know you contributed positively to another's life, to their happiness, to their survival. It gives us a sense of purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-bryant/it-feels-good-to-know-you-contributed-positively-to-another-s-life-to/) [Joy Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-bryant/) > [“Only allow what contributes positively into your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/only-allow-what-contributes-positively-into-your-life/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) > [I can't concern myself with what's going on with the club or what the media is writing. If you pay attention to those things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-mattingly/i-can-t-concern-myself-with-what-s-going-on-with-the-club-or-what-the/) [Don Mattingly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-mattingly/) > [People rarely discuss the things that trouble them most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/people-rarely-discuss-the-things-that-trouble-them-most/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [In a thousand years we shall all forget The things that trouble us now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lindsay-gordon/in-a-thousand-years-we-shall-all-forget-the-things-that-trouble-us-now/) [Adam Lindsay Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lindsay-gordon/) > [My mom always bails me out of things when I get in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-vega/my-mom-always-bails-me-out-of-things-when-i-get-in-trouble/) [Alexa Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-vega/) > [We're supposed to do all these things which trouble us deeply because it's so against what we naturally would want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/we-re-supposed-to-do-all-these-things-which-trouble-us-deeply-because/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [I like to write about things about which I have no answers, questions that trouble me. These things trouble me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-haggis/i-like-to-write-about-things-about-which-i-have-no-answers-questions/) [Paul Haggis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-haggis/) > [When you react to things, that's when you get into trouble and it's tough to completely control a split-second reaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-marchand/when-you-react-to-things-that-s-when-you-get-into-trouble-and-it-s/) [Brad Marchand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-marchand/) > [It is sad that some people expect things from you when they are in trouble, but they don't even remember you when everything is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-sad-that-some-people-expect-things-from-you-when-they-are-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When there's not much to do, you find things to do that get you in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margo-price/when-there-s-not-much-to-do-you-find-things-to-do-that-get-you-in/) [Margo Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margo-price/) > [It is not things in themselves which trouble us, but our opinions of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/it-is-not-things-in-themselves-which-trouble-us-but-our-opinions-of/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [It often happens that things are other than what they seem, and you can get yourself into trouble by jumping to conclusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/it-often-happens-that-things-are-other-than-what-they-seem-and-you/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [Not things, but opinions about things, trouble men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/not-things-but-opinions-about-things-trouble-men/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“I do my duty: other things trouble me not; for they are either things without life, or things without reason, or things that have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/i-do-my-duty-other-things-trouble-me-not-for-they-are-either-things/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) ## More by H. Jackson Brown, Jr > [Hire people more for their judgment than for their talents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/hire-people-more-for-their-judgment-than-for-their-talents/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [We're constantly striving for success, fame and comfort when all we really need to be happy is someone or some thing to be enthusiastic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/we-re-constantly-striving-for-success-fame-and-comfort-when-all-we/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Develop a sense of urgency in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/develop-a-sense-of-urgency-in-your-life/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Give children toys that are powered by their imagination, not by batteries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/give-children-toys-that-are-powered-by-their-imagination-not-by/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Dont say you dont have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/dont-say-you-dont-have-enough-time-you-have-exactly-the-same-number/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Put a love note in his shaving kit before he leaves on a business trip.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/put-a-love-note-in-his-shaving-kit-before-he-leaves-on-a-business-trip/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Always have something beautiful in sight, even if it's just a daisy in a jelly glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/always-have-something-beautiful-in-sight-even-if-it-s-just-a-daisy-in/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [You can get by on charm for about 15 minutes. After that, you better know something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/you-can-get-by-on-charm-for-about-15-minutes-after-that-you-better/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Spend your time and energy creating, not criticizing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/spend-your-time-and-energy-creating-not-criticizing/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Oh, the difference between nearly right and exactly right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/oh-the-difference-between-nearly-right-and-exactly-right/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Become the world's most thoughtful friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/become-the-world-s-most-thoughtful-friend/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Remember that almost everything looks better after a good night's sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/remember-that-almost-everything-looks-better-after-a-good-night-s/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Mature love is composed and sustaining; a celebration of commitment, companionship, and trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/mature-love-is-composed-and-sustaining-a-celebration-of-commitment/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Remember that creating a successful marriage is like farming: you have to start over again every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/remember-that-creating-a-successful-marriage-is-like-farming-you-have/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/be-modest-a-lot-was-accomplished-before-you-were-born/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) [Explore all 239 H. Jackson Brown, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Pay as much attention to the things that are working positively in your life as you do to the things that give you trouble.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "H. Jackson Brown, Jr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/pay-as-much-attention-to-the-things-that-are-working-positively-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/pay-as-much-attention-to-the-things-that-are-working-positively-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/h-jackson-brown-jr-1456_attention_pay-as-much-attention-to-the-things-that_239534.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/h-jackson-brown-jr-1456_attention_pay-as-much-attention-to-the-things-that_239534.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/h-jackson-brown-jr-1456_attention_pay-as-much-attention-to-the-things-that_239534.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Pay as much attention to the things that are working positively in your life as you do to the things that…” — H. Jackson Brown, Jr", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "H. Jackson Brown, Jr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Pay as much attention to the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/pay-as-much-attention-to-the-things-that-are-working-positively-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/pay-as-much-attention-to-the-things-that-are-working-positively-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```