About a year ago, I read a book called The Coffee Bean, and it completely changed how I think about challenges.
In The Coffee Bean, the author shares a simple experiment. A carrot, an egg, and a coffee bean are all placed in the same boiling water. They all go through the same challenge, but they come out very differently. The carrot becomes soft. The egg becomes hard. But the coffee bean completely transforms the water itself.
The lesson is powerful. Challenges affect people in different ways. Some situations make us emotionally harder. Some make us too soft and sensitive. But some people choose to transform the situation instead of letting the situation transform them.
That idea stayed with me.
In May, I got laid off. That became my boiling water moment.
Instead of letting that moment define me, I decided to focus on what I could control. I started paying attention to my habits, my health, and how I was showing up every day. I exercised more, ate better, and made sure I did not skip meals even when life felt busy.
One of the biggest changes I made was getting involved in the tech community. It started with a Google Developer Group meetup in August 2025. That one meetup led to conversations, which led to more meetups, and eventually to a community called Commit Your Code.
Through Commit Your Code, I joined their Discord, found accountability partners, and started joining challenges like 100 Days of Code and DSA practice. I even volunteered for a mock interview in front of about 20 people. After the call, someone told me I inspired them to practice more. I was not expecting that, and it reminded me that showing up matters.
Over time, those small steps started to add up. I attended the following events:
- Google Developer Group (GDG) meetups
- Commit Your Code (CYC) community events and conference
- Java MUG meetups
- Texas Tech Talk Toastmasters
- Dallas Software Developers (DSD) meetups
- Vonage workshop
- MongoDB conference
- Hazelcast workshop
None of this happened overnight. It happened because I stayed intentional and consistent, even when it felt uncomfortable.
What once felt scary slowly turned into curiosity. I began to see how small daily actions compound into significant change. I began inspiring others, not from perfection, but from my failures and weaknesses. I knew my goals better and felt more confident about my direction.
At Toastmasters, during one of the Table Topics sessions, I won, and that small win gave my confidence a big boost. Over time, I became more consistent and more comfortable with being uncomfortable.
I started doing things I never thought I could stay consistent with, like practicing LeetCode regularly, reading the books Designing Data-Intensive Applications and System Design Interview, participating in Advent of Code, and building a consistent gym routine.
When I look at myself now, I truly see transformation. Just like the coffee bean, I did not just survive the boiling water. I changed it.
When life puts you in boiling water, you have a choice. You can become the carrot, the egg, or the coffee bean.
I am still learning, still failing, and still showing up. And I am choosing to be the coffee bean.
Top comments (3)
I love you are embracing being uncomfortable! That's definitely where the growth happens!!
Thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoyed my first blog.
This is Great Yodit! Trust the process you build all sorts of muscles going through tests. Excited for the future keep it up!