This is a photo of Great Sand Dunes NP in Colorado (seen in the distance). It is an amazing landscape with a fascinating geologic history. This valley was once covered by a lake. Sediment from the surrounding mountains filled the valley and the lake receded. Exposed sand was blown by the predominant southwest winds toward the Sangre de Cristos mountains, but during storms the winds blow back toward the valley. These opposing winds cause the dunes to grow higher and higher. Small dunes continue to form in the surrounding sand and migrate across grasslands, joining the main dunefield. Some of these migrating dunes become covered by grasses and shrubs and stop migrating.

There are multiple terms we could use for the stabilizing influences in our lives: rock (on which we stand) and anchor (for our boat in a storm) come immediately to mind. I guess we can add the grass and shrubs (for our sand dune).