Sailing as life
 

Life is like sailing a boat, .... Small, continual adjustments at the helm
are needed to stay on course and eventually get where you need to go.

A sailor, ... picks a clear destination on the far shore and sticks to it.
No matter what weather kicks up, what obstacles and detours arise, he
doesn't lose sight of his goal.

A sailor watches for submerged rocks and other hazards along the way, giving
them wide berth, ... Blowing off course is one thing, running aground quite
another. One is easily corrected, the other almost always irreversible.

A sailor, ... anticipates the winds of change before they strike. He watches
for storm clouds and knows when to seek shelter and when to ride them out.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/13168509.htm