Here's a metaphor from George Pransky around how people live their lives. We like it because he's not saying there's a right way to live, i.e. neither the sailboat or the motorboat is better, just that there is an option to partner with life, or to plough through it. And one seems to contain more joy than the other...

Look out for the sailboats and motorboats around you or in public life (especially sport) and see what you see.

Sailboat vs Motorboat

A great metaphor to describe moving through life, is to see people either as a sailboat or a motorboat. The difference between the two is how much effort they take. A sailboat relies on the wind. The wind is a variable, so you never know where the wind is going to take you, but you can adjust the sails, so you have some input into the direction you go. If the wind isn't going the way you want, you may have to go a different way. Sometimes if there is no wind, you just have to stop. Sometimes it's a good thing to stop in life. With a sailboat you are dancing through life, partnering with life rather than powering through it like a motorboat.