What My Mother’s Garden Taught Me About Smart Investing and Asset Rebalancing (Asset Rebalancing – Part 1)

🌿 The All-Season Garden and What My Mother Taught Me About Balance 🌿

Behind the smoky kitchen of our home in rural Karnataka, there was a small patch of red soil. Nothing grand — just a bit of backyard where firewood was once stacked and cows occasionally passed through. But over time, Abbe (my mother, as we fondly call her in our village dialect) turned it into something truly special. With her quiet hands and an eye for balance, she slowly transformed that space into a garden full of life. Tomatoes, chilies, pudina, coriander — all the essentials for our humble vegetarian meals grew in well-thought-out rows. Near the kitchen doorway, the Tulsi plant stood firm like a sacred guardian, and along the borders, marigolds lit up the space like little lamps during festival time. Jasmine vines crept up the fence, their fragrance lingering on Abbe’s saree. In one corner, a mango tree stood tall — planted the year I was born. The other side had banana saplings, marigolds, hibiscus, spinach, and even a few curry leaf plants tucked near the wall. It was not just a garden. It was a living, breathing, nurturing space—just like her.

Nothing in that garden was random. There were some fast-growing plants, some that took their own sweet time. Some flowered only in one season. Some gave fruits after years of patience. But all of them served a purpose—whether for the kitchen, for pooja, for medicine, or just for their beauty. My mother never studied gardening. She just understood it intuitively. Like most Indian mothers, she knew how to create balance.

But here is what stayed with me: she never let that garden run wild. Every week, early in the morning, she would be out there—barefoot, sari tucked in at the waist, a small sickle in one hand, her focus unwavering. She would trim the overgrown banana leaves, tie up the drooping tomato plants, pull out weeds around the spinach, and even move some pots around, saying things like, “This rose is not getting enough sun.” It was not done for decoration. It was done out of care. She never let any one plant take over the space. She gave every little corner its own attention.

Years later, when I began to understand money and investments, I realised my mother had unknowingly taught me the most important financial lesson: how to maintain balance.

🌸 What a Mother's Garden Teaches About Money 🌸

Think of your investments as a garden. If you only invest in one kind of asset—say stocks—you may see fast growth. But what happens when the season changes? What if there is a crash, or a health emergency? If you have not planted other things—debt instruments, gold, fixed deposits, or even liquid funds—you will not be prepared for every season of life.

Just like my mother’s garden had spinach for everyday meals, mangoes for summer, hibiscus for daily pooja, and drumsticks for sambar, a good portfolio needs diversity—some for today, some for tomorrow, some for celebrations, and some for crisis.

And most importantly, like her weekly rounds in the garden, you cannot just plant and forget. Rebalancing is the quiet care—trimming what has overgrown, giving space to what is struggling, moving things around as life changes, and removing what no longer serves a purpose.

Over time, that garden fed us, healed us, even comforted us. It taught me that true value does not lie in just growth, but in continuity. The goal was never just a rich harvest—it was a self-sustaining space, one that could survive all seasons, even be passed down.

That is what we should aim for in our financial lives too. Something that works in every season, not just the bull markets. Something that supports not only us, but our families. And something that, one day, our children can benefit from—just like I did from my mother’s garden.

At its core, asset rebalancing is the process of realigning the weightings of a portfolio’s assets to maintain a desired risk level or investment strategy. It’s a way of keeping the financial ship steady in unpredictable waters. More than just a technical adjustment, it’s a reflection of discipline, intention, and foresight. And in a world where market volatility is more common than calm, rebalancing becomes a quiet form of active investing — subtle, strategic, and immensely powerful.

Asset Rebalancing Money Vichara

Why Rebalance Your Portfolio?

India is known for its market volatility—just take a look at how sectors like real estate, IT, and pharma have had their share of ups and downs over the years. So, if your portfolio isn’t regularly rebalanced, your once-diversified collection of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds could end up being overweight in one sector, leaving you exposed to unnecessary risks.

The Role of Equity and Debt in Retirement Planning

In the earlier stages of your career, it is common to focus more on equities. Equities offer the potential for high returns and wealth accumulation, which is crucial when you are in your 20s, 30s, and 40s. However, as you move closer to retirement, your risk tolerance typically decreases. The stock market can be volatile, and when you are relying on your investments to provide income in retirement, exposure to high-risk assets like stocks becomes a problem if markets remain sideways for extended periods.

A portfolio that is heavily weighted in equities, for instance, can experience severe fluctuations in value during market downturns. If the market goes through a prolonged sideways phase, your portfolio might not recover the way it would if it were more balanced with debt or other safer assets. By regularly adjusting your portfolio—rebalancing it according to changes in your risk appetite and time horizon—you can mitigate these risks and ensure that your portfolio is positioned for steady growth without excessive volatility.

Portfolio Rebalancing for Retirement: A Strategic Approach to Safeguard Your Future

Retirement may seem far off for some, but if you are planning for a comfortable future, it is never too early to start thinking about how your investments will serve you in your golden years. A key aspect of successful retirement planning is ensuring that your portfolio remains aligned with your changing financial goals and risk tolerance over time. This is where portfolio rebalancing comes into play.

Rebalancing is a vital yet often overlooked aspect of long-term investing, especially as you approach retirement age. Overexposure to one type of asset—whether it is equity, real estate, or even gold—can create significant risks. The stock market is volatile, and without a proper rebalancing strategy, an imbalance between equity and debt can lead to an unfortunate scenario where your investments are either too risky or too conservative, missing the growth potential needed for retirement.

The Pros and Cons of Rebalancing in India

Let us be real - rebalancing is not always a walk in the park. It comes with its own set of challenges. For one, the Indian tax structure might eat into your returns if you are selling frequently and locking in short-term capital gains. Plus, you will have to deal with transaction costs—brokerage fees and taxes that can pile up if you are constantly rebalancing.

On the flip side, rebalancing offers reduced risk and increased control. It helps you take advantage of market volatility, ensures your portfolio stays aligned with your long-term goals, and might even lead to better returns in the long run. Especially in the Indian context, where opportunities are plenty but the risks are equally high, staying disciplined with your rebalancing can shield you from the wild swings of the market.

rebalancing is not just a financial strategy—it is a mindset. It is about staying disciplined, sticking to your financial goals, and constantly evaluating whether your portfolio is in the best shape to weather the market’s ups and downs. Yes, it takes effort and a little know-how, but the rewards are worth it. You don’t need to be an expert; just get familiar with the different strategies and start implementing the one that works best for you.

Money matters are not always about complicated numbers or expert predictions. Sometimes, they are just about asking yourself—am I still on the right path? That is what asset rebalancing does for your financial journey. It helps you pause, reflect, and realign. Markets go up and down, life situations change, and our goals evolve. Without a simple habit of rebalancing, it is easy to find your investments drifting away from what you actually need. And when you suddenly need money—maybe for retirement, a medical emergency, or your child’s education—you do not want to be stuck selling at the wrong time just because your portfolio was out of balance. 

I encourage you to take a moment today and think about your own investment portfolio. Does it need rebalancing? Are you too heavily invested in one sector or one asset class? If yes, it might be time to take action. After all, the market won’t wait for you to get your strategy together. The sooner you rebalance, the better your chances of aligning your portfolio with your financial dreams.

In the upcoming articles, we will explore different types of asset rebalancing strategies in detail. You will learn when to use each strategy, what to expect from them, and how to apply them step by step. I will also share some simple tools and simulators to help you try these ideas with your own numbers. If you have ever felt confused about how to maintain your investment plan or what to do when markets fluctuate, these next posts are for you. Stay with Money Vichara, where we invest not just with numbers—but with thought, care, and purpose.