Beautiful Mosses or Unwanted Weeds? The Life Lesson Hiding in My Backyard

As some of you may know by now, I'm born and bred Singaporean. While Singapore has done well in many respects as a country, there are just some physical limitations—laws of nature—that no amount of riches can help overcome. Think the hot and humid weather (being located close to the equator) and the tiny land mass (being an island nation) we have to call home.

So when we relocated to Australia a decade ago, we were thankful for the weather (which is quite the other extreme for us, though not the snowing extreme) and the s-p-a-c-e! With that, we had the opportunity to live in landed houses with yards—something reserved for the well-heeled in Singapore.

A friend who had relocated to New Zealand warned us to go easy on getting a place with too large a yard, lest we go crazy with the space we can afford and get ourselves into the huge amount of gardening and mowing to be done! Thankfully, I do enjoy mowing the lawns and nature strip, raking leaves and weeding the garden.

During one of my yard maintenance sessions, I snapped the photograph you see above. With it came some thoughts about "life" that I want to share today.

The picture shows our little paved backyard leading to the back garden. I was doing some weeding after raking up the leaves and branches when, in a moment of epiphany, I noticed that the paving had a distinct "line"—corresponding to the eaves of the roof.

The paving under the eaves (on the left) looked "new" compared to the paving on the right that was exposed to the elements. Well, at least the sheltered section retained somewhat its original brick colour, whereas the paving exposed to the elements looked black and dirty.

But here's what caught my attention: while there were beautiful mosses growing in the grout of the black and dirty-looking paving, there were only sporadic weeds growing among the clean, protected paving.

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The life lesson I gleaned from this weeding session is profound: if you want to grow something beautiful, you have to step out of your comfort zone (and shelter) and take the risk of being exposed to the elements.

Or, in the same vein, if you've been battered by what life has thrown at you because you've taken the risk to step out, what lessons can you glean to grow and be better?

Think about it—the protected pavement stayed pristine but sterile. The exposed pavement got weathered and stained, but it became the foundation for something unexpectedly beautiful. The moss didn't grow despite the harsh conditions; it grew because of them.

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In investing and trading, unless you learn to take some calculated risks and potentially see your portfolio being hammered occasionally, you will not see the beautiful mosses of your portfolio growing beyond your imagination.

The investors who stay completely sheltered in term deposits and savings accounts keep their capital "clean" but watch inflation slowly erode its purchasing power. Meanwhile, those willing to expose themselves to market volatility—the weathering and staining of temporary losses—often discover the beautiful moss of compound growth over time.

Yes, your portfolio might look "dirty" during market downturns. But just as the moss found a way to thrive in the harsh conditions, patient investors often find that these challenging periods create the very conditions for exceptional long-term growth.

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In health and fitness, if you remain too sheltered and buy into the belief that aging and frailty are synonymous, you will not see the possible mosses of mobility and good health into your latter years.

The body that's never challenged, never stressed, never pushed beyond its comfort zone stays "clean" but weak. The body that's exposed to the elements of resistance training, cardiovascular challenge, and physical stress develops the beautiful moss of strength, resilience, and vitality that can last well into the golden years.

Those aches and pains after a good workout? That's not damage—that's the weathering that creates the conditions for something beautiful to grow.

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While the paving had no choice of where they were placed by the builder, you have a choice to remain sheltered and "safe," or to step up and take some action in whatever areas of your life where you want to see something beautiful blossom.

The sheltered path offers the illusion of preservation, but what you're really preserving is stagnation. The exposed path offers the promise of growth, but only if you're willing to accept that growth requires weathering.

Here's what I've learned from my backyard philosophy session: Either way, something will be growing. You decide whether it's going to be unwanted weeds or beautiful mosses.

In the protected areas of our lives—our comfort zones—weeds of complacency, fear, and missed opportunities tend to sprout. In the exposed areas—where we take risks, face challenges, and embrace uncertainty—the beautiful moss of wisdom, strength, and genuine fulfilment has a chance to flourish.

The moss doesn't ask permission to grow. It doesn't wait for perfect conditions. It finds a way to create beauty in the cracks and crevices that harsh conditions create.

Your Turn:
As you look at your own life, where are you staying too sheltered?
What areas could benefit from a little exposure to the elements?
Where might you be protecting yourself from the very conditions that could foster the most beautiful growth?

Remember, the goal isn't to seek out unnecessary hardship—it's to recognize that some of life's most beautiful developments happen not in spite of challenging conditions, but because of them.
Sometimes the most profound wisdom comes not from a boardroom or a classroom, but from a simple moment in your backyard, watching moss grow in the cracks of weathered pavement.

What beautiful moss is waiting to grow in the weathered areas of your life?

Understanding Your Investment Timeline (The Time Horizon Reality Check)

Time horizon is just fancy financial speak for "when do you need this money back?" But don't let the simple concept fool you—getting this right is crucial for investment success. It's the difference between choosing the right tool for the job and trying to hammer a nail with a screwdriver.

Short-term goals (0-3 years) call for conservative approaches: savings accounts, money market funds, short-term bonds. You're prioritizing capital preservation over growth because you can't afford to lose money you'll need soon. Medium-term goals (3-10 years) allow for moderate risk—balanced funds, some stocks mixed with bonds. Long-term goals (10+ years) can handle more aggressive growth strategies.

The tricky part is that most people have multiple goals with different timelines running simultaneously. You might be saving for a house down payment (medium-term), your child's education (medium to long-term), and retirement (long-term) all at once. Each goal needs its own strategy.

L-Plate Takeaway: Matching your investment strategy to your timeline isn't just smart—it's essential. Money you need next year shouldn't be invested the same way as money you won't need for 30 years.