Page 28 - Masala Lite Issue 176 August 2025

28 CASH COURSE WITH ATUL
THE ILLUSION Even our own goals evolve over time. What felt like a sure thing five years ago can

now feel distant or irrelevant. The systems we rely on—financially or otherwise—are
often more fragile than they appear.
OF STABILITY Investors learn this early, sometimes the hard way. There is no such thing as a “safe”
return. Even holding cash has consequences, especially over long periods. What looks
stable in the short term can often carry hidden risks over time.
False stability leads to bad decisions
The illusion of stability is dangerous because it leads to false confidence. People

overextend during good times, thinking conditions will hold. Investors chase yield,
take on hidden leverage, or overconcentrate based on past performance. Businesses
overly rely on tailwinds they assume will last.
We have all heard people say, “Things were going so well, and then suddenly, everything
changed.” But that change isn’t always sudden. It just feels sudden because we
convinced ourselves the calm was permanent. “This time is different,” are famous

last words, but so is “this will pass, just wait.”
Real strength is internal, not external
A BRIEF SUMMARY: Rather than searching for stability outside ourselves, the better path is to build it
internally. That means clear decision making, emotional discipline, and the humility
• Stability feels safe. We all seek it in jobs, relationships, and financial plans.

to act without knowing every variable.
• The world rarely works like this. Everything is inherently unstable and in In investing, this might look like having a rules-based process you stick to even when
constant change. Mistaking temporary calm for permanence can lead to your gut says otherwise. It means holding cash when you could otherwise succumb to
costly decisions.
FOMO, or staying invested when fear is high—not because you know what’s coming
• In investing, false stability creates overconfidence: chasing yield, next, but because you have trained yourself to act
overconcentration, or waiting too long to act. without needing certainty.
• Real stability comes from internal resilience: clear decision making, emotional The same applies outside finance. Emotional
control, and the ability to move even with uncertainty around you. composure under pressure is its own kind of wealth.
Stability is not found—it is practiced
Everyone wants stable ground The irony is that once you stop chasing external

People crave stability in all areas of life, especially in finances. Solid ground means stability, you begin to build internal resilience. Not
something that will not shift beneath our feet. A steady income, a predictable market, by predicting the future, but by preparing for change.
a long-term plan. The idea is comforting: if things can just stay steady, then we can In investing, that means accepting volatility, not
finally relax, plan ahead, and feel safe. fearing it—knowing that drawdowns are part of

the process, not signs that something is broken.
We associate stability with success. A stable job, stable relationship, a stable portfolio—
these are seen as goals and signs that things are working. Unfortunately, the world Real stability is not about avoiding shocks. It is
rarely plays along with these scripts. about absorbing them without needing to rewrite
your entire plan. If your system only works when
The world is uncertain everything is calm, it isn’t a system—it’s a gamble.
The truth is that the world is dynamic by nature. Markets fluctuate. Economic The goal is not to eliminate uncertainty. It is to be

regimes shift. able to move through it without losing your footing.

MASALA LITE ISSUE 176 - AUGUST 2025