Crush Your Fantasies - Build Your Dreams

The Friend Who Let Jerry Fail

Jerry wants to audition for a national talent show. He is going to sing. The problem? Jerry sounds like a frog dying. Slowly. In the desert. With no water. Everyone knows this except Jerry.

His friends know it. His family knows it. The neighbors know it. But nobody tells him. Instead, they smile. They nod. They say things like "Go for it!" and "Follow your dreams!" and "You never know unless you try!"

So Jerry auditions. And Jerry gets humiliated on national television. Millions of people watch him fail. The judges are brutal. The internet is worse. And Jerry's friends act shocked. "I can't believe they were so mean to him."

Really? You can't believe it?

You knew he wasn't ready. You knew he needed help. You knew he was walking into a disaster. But you said nothing because you didn't want to be the bad guy. Congratulations. You just proved you're not a good guy either.

The Consequences of Yes-People

Here is what happens when you surround yourself with people who only tell you what you want to hear. You stop growing. Growth requires friction. When everyone around you agrees with everything, you stop questioning yourself. You stop improving. You stay exactly where you are, convinced you are moving forward. You walk into preventable disasters. The business idea that will never work. The relationship everyone else can see is toxic. The career move you are not ready for. Real friends see these things coming. Fake friends watch you walk straight into them.

You confuse comfort with support. It feels good when people agree with you. It feels safe when nobody challenges you. But that comfort is a trap. You are not being supported. You are being enabled.

What Real Support Actually Looks Like

A real friend does not just crush your fantasies. They help you build your dreams.

Your friend comes to you with a business idea. It is terrible. The market does not exist. The pricing makes no sense.

The fake friend says, "That sounds amazing! You should totally do it!"

The real friend says, "This won't work as it is. But the core concept has potential. Let's fix the pricing. Let's find the actual market. Let's figure out what you actually need." The real friend is not being negative. They are being honest. They are killing the delusion so the dream has room to grow.

Real support is hard conversations. Someone who risks your temporary anger for your long-term success. Truth plus direction, not just criticism. The friend who tells you that you are not ready for that promotion but helps you identify what skills you need? That is real support. The colleague who says your presentation needs work and sits with you to make it better? That is what building dreams looks like.

The Two-Way Mirror

Now, here is the uncomfortable truth. Look at your circle. Are the people around you crushing your fantasies or feeding them? Are they telling you what you need to hear or what you want to hear? Are they protecting your feelings or protecting your future? If nobody in your life ever challenges you, that is not a sign that you are perfect. That is a sign that you are surrounded by cowards.

But here is the other side of the mirror. What kind of friend are you? When someone you care about is about to make a terrible decision, do you speak up or stay quiet? When they ask for your opinion, do you give them the truth or tell them what will keep the peace? Are you the friend who lets Jerry walk onto that stage? Or are you the friend who sits him down, tells him the truth, and helps him find a vocal coach?

Real friendship is not about making people feel good. It is about making people better. And sometimes, making someone better means telling them something they do not want to hear.

If your circle will not tell you the truth, you do not have a circle. You have an audience.

Fatima Bey The MindShifter

International Speaker, Coach & Creator of the MindShift Universe