Ways to convey a sense of attentiveness and responsiveness to something beyond your control?

Question

What are metaphors or English sayings for conveying a sense of attentiveness and responsiveness to something?
I am particularly interested in something akin to "emotion surfing" as it conveys:

the waves are out of your control,
you pay attention to them so you can respond to them
you do it by choice (often because it is important to you).

I want to find a metaphor (that isn't overused) to convey staying in contact with something in an attentive way so that you "get something out of it" like a surfer rides a wave. It's important that there is an element of "going with the flow" because struggling against it is as futile as trying to control waves on the ocean. It would also be helpful to capture a sense of temporality in the same way that ocean waves perpetually rise and fall.

user405662 · Answer

It seems that you are looking for this psychological phenomenon
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocktail_party_effect
EDIT: Now that @KillingTime has edited the question, I think this word fits the bill nicely—
liminal

of, relating to, or situated at a sensory threshold : barely perceptible or capable of eliciting a response

liminal visual stimuli
[Merriam-Webster]

livresque · Answer

"Adjust the sails"
A saying that comes to mind about change and control attributed to William A. Ward and also John Maxwell (ref.):
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.”
Adjusting the sails captures the temporal sense you give.  When you are regularly tuned in and attentive to the environment or atmosphere, you are constantly adjusting course to control what you can while recognizing what you can't.  The Serenity Prayer also comes to mind, but that might fall into your "overused" category.
This metaphor seems to fit with your description of emotional waves and happens to involve water to boot.  It has been used in leadership parables where "leader" replaces "realist."  This speaks to mindfulness and responsiveness about the way you lead your life.

Ways to convey a sense of attentiveness and responsiveness to something beyond your control?

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