Watch It Burn. Keep Building.

My roommate, Arjun, is probably one of the smartest people I know. But these past 2 weeks have been gut-wrenching to watch. The guy who used to light up talking about his projects and crush leetcode problems now spends his days doomscrolling on Reddit and X.

It started after an internship offer was rescinded for the second time. The reason? Being an international student. "But I don't even need sponsorship," he'd say. Didn't matter - you need to be a citizen.

One thing that did not change was his daily Facetime calls with his Grandmother back in India. "Grandma, everything's against us. Companies won't hire me because they think I need sponsorship. I need an internship to graduate"

"Online, people say we're stealing jobs. And now AI is coming for whatever's left. I just don't see the point anymore."

Her response was one I would never forget:

"Arjun, I don't understand what these words mean - sponsorship, AI. But I understand suffering."

"When we plant a seed, we can give it the best soil, the right amount of water, and perfect sunlight - but whether it grows into a strong tree isn't in our hands. Whether you like it or not, the results of our actions are not in our control."

"We have to be detached from the outcome, Arjun. Understand that your action and the reward are not the same thing, but separate from each other."

"Keep coding, but code because you love creating, not for a job. Learn new things for the joy of understanding, not for what they might bring. Right now, you're so focused on the fruits that you've forgotten to enjoy tending to the garden."

"Victory and defeat are the same. Neither defines you, because neither is in your control. There is glory in both victory and defeat, but there is no glory in surrender."

#InternationalStudents #H1B #MentalHealth #TechCareers #AI #ElonMusk