The quickest way to poison a dream is to share it prematurely with someone who is actively grieving the dreams that they've laid to rest.
I used to wonder why my biggest dreams felt smaller after sharing them with certain people, until I realized I was bringing seeds to someone else's graveyard.
There's a difference between someone who can't support your dream and someone who actively diminishes it.
The first person will be honest about their limitations - "I don't understand this world, but I can see how excited you are."
The second will dress their discouragement up as wisdom.
You'll know the difference by how you feel after the conversation.
Supportive people leave you feeling seen, even when they can't offer practical help.
Dream-killers leave you questioning whether you're being naive, unrealistic, or selfish for wanting more.
The people actively grieving their own abandoned dreams aren't safe spaces for your fresh possibilities.
Their "reality checks" are often projections of their own disappointment.
Their "practical advice" comes from wounds that haven't healed, not wisdom that could help you.
This doesn't make them bad people - it makes them the wrong people for this conversation, at this moment.
Your dreams deserve to be held by people who can separate their story from yours, who can celebrate your courage without immediately calculating your chances of failure.
Some visions need to strengthen in private before they're ready for public scrutiny.
Give yourself permission to be selective about who gets early access to your hopes.
Not everyone who loves you is equipped to midwife your dreams.
Choose your first audience as carefully as you'd choose a surgeon - based on skill, not just affection.
What dream are you protecting by keeping it close to your chest right now?
(Michell C. Clark)
