I don't look to jump over 7-foot bars: I look around for 1-foot bars that I can step over

In the bustling city of Mumbai lived two investors: Arjun and Meera.

Arjun was known for his daring spirit. He read every financial blog, tracked IPOs with excitement, and poured over the riskiest investments, hoping to strike it big. "Go big or go home," he would often say, aiming for the metaphorical 7-foot bar. Hedge funds? Cryptocurrencies? Leveraged plays on tech startups? Arjun chased them all.

On the other side of the city, Meera took a different path. She wasn’t glued to the stock ticker or chasing the next hot stock. Instead, she consistently invested in mutual funds — diversified, professionally managed, and designed for long-term growth. “I prefer to let the experts do the heavy lifting,” she’d say, focusing on SIPs (Systematic Investment Plans) and compounding over time. She looked for the 1-foot bars — simple, steady, and smart.

Ten years passed.

Arjun’s journey was like a rollercoaster. He won big sometimes, lost big more often. His portfolio had wild swings, and by the end of the decade, he’d barely broken even — exhausted and frustrated.

Meera’s mutual funds, on the other hand, quietly compounded. She didn’t beat the market every year, but she didn’t need to. She just stayed invested, avoided panic-selling, and let time do its job. Her wealth grew steadily — not with headlines, but with patience.

One day, they met at an investor meet-up. Arjun laughed and said, “I’ve jumped 7-foot bars all decade. Some I cleared, most I didn’t. What about you, Meera?”

Meera smiled, “I just stepped over 1-foot bars with my mutual funds. No gold medal, but my wealth quietly ran its race.”

The room went silent.

And somewhere, Warren Buffett would’ve nodded in approval.