RAS - Reticular Activation System. It's a subconscious process by which you set your mind to something and you'll start filtering out all that which doesn't match what you're looking for.
I must of had this RAS the other day. I took my daughter down to the mall to get her hair done yesterday. While I was sitting in the salon I was looking at some home magazines. One magazine featured some cute little decorative birds & I thought I should look for something like that. I ventured over to the store next to the salon & there was an adorable decorative bird on clearance for $3.00. Then we went to the big Sal. Army near the mall that I don't get to very often. I found a hat display stand for $1.50- I had just been looking at hat stands on Ebay the night before! I even found a cute reproduction tin advertising sign for a hat emporium with a illusrtation of cats wearing fancy hats.
When we were leaving I said to my daughter, "I just found everything I have been thinking about lately." She said, "Maybe you should think about finding $50.00 on the ground and it will happen."