The Voyage of a Hundred Tacks - part 2

In light of my post, "The Voyage of a Hundred Tacks", I was asked about the source of this Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, "The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks".

It is from Emerson's "Self-Reliance" essay (1841), which I've excerpt here:

Fear never but you shall be consistent in whatever variety of actions, so they be each honest and natural in their hour. For of one will, the actions will be harmonious, however unlike they seem. These varieties are lost sight of when seen at a little distance, at a little height of thought. One tendency unites them all. The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks. This is only microscopic criticism. See the line from a sufficient distance, and it will straighten itself to the average tendency. Your genuine action will explain itself and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing. Act singly, and what you have already done singly, will justify you now...**

When a sailboat is sailing, it cannot sail straight into the wind. In order to get to its destination, it must first sail to the right, then to the left, and so on, making its diagonal pattern across the waves until in the end, it reaches its final terminus. So too, this is a fitting metaphor for life and a reminder to us that any journey in life is not a straight line.Balance is such a sticky issue and so difficult to maintain.The key is discovering what works well for us. Keep balanced, keep sailing, keep tacking...it's all we can do.

** Link to read the version of Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance" essay.