David wrote Sailing - Lifts and Headers on 5/20/09, I hope it helps you sail upwind with a little more fun.
When sailing and the wind shifts, it is either a lift or header, never right or left.
A lift comes more from the side, and allows us to turn the boat more into the wind, or upwind, so we can lift our course up.
A header comes more from the front, and forces us to bear off and turn downwind, not the way we want to go, our course changing down.
However, this gives us an opportunity. When we get a header, we can tack, and the header instantly becomes a lift!
Our life is much like this; what is obviously a bad header, is also a wonderful lift. It just depends on which way we need to go, and whether we turn. The opportunity is there, but it is our choice whether or not to turn, and as you know, we sometimes turn the wrong way, and are surprised. But it was our choice, and even when we turn the wrong way, we learn, and if we learn, perhaps our next choice is better, and our course in life is lifted.
