Let’s throw out all the fake friends and fake acquaintances.

All the yes men, and yes women that you have.

The thumbs up people, the light people. And let’s talk today about the definition of what a true friend really is.

I’m blessed to have true friends in my life.

Brett, Greg, Larry, John.

I’ve got such an amazing group of guys that will be there for me whenever I need them. And do you know why my friends are so great?

Because they are not yes men.

You see, a true friend does not agree with everything you do.

A true friend, truly challenges you in every way.

That’s what a great friend will do.

A great friend literally will listen to what’s going on in your life. And if you’re right, they’ll agree with you. And they’ll build upon it.

But if you’re wrong, they’re not afraid to tell you you’re wrong. They are not afraid to challenge you. They’re not afraid to tell you that you’re down the wrong path.

That’s what a true friend will do.

I know people that I’ve met that have a lot of yes men friends, or yes women friends. I always look at somebody who lives a life that is out of control, and they seem to be making the same mistakes over and over again. And I’l ask, what do your friends have to say? And they’ll say I’ve got great friends, and I’m thinking no you don’t. Because your friends are yes men and yes women.

Those aren’t great friends, people that agree with you when you’re doing things that are really wrong and really not good for you.

That’s not a friendship. A friendship is somebody who’s not afraid to speak their minds. A friend is somebody who you truly can discover new truths with.

If all your friends are doing is agreeing with you all the time…

Those aren’t friends at all. Those are just people that are afraid to challenge you.

Not only that, it’s the dynamic you set up with friendships. And it’s probably the dynamic you set up in every relationship in your life, having to be right. Or having to have people that agree with you.

I’ve met many people like you before in my lifetime. Where you have tons of people that constantly agree with you. And I think to myself, my God, your friends are doing you no justice at all. As a matter of fact, they’re not real friends. They’re just friends of yours that basically do whatever you ask them to do. Because they know deep down you don’t listen to people’s opinions. I’m sure that they have tried many times to disagree with you, contradict you, but you’ve never been open to it.

See, to me, what I love about my friends is not only do they support me, but they also challenge me. They challenge me to think outside the box. They challenge me to be a better person, a better dad, a better friend. A better everything in life. When I’m spiraling out of control, or I’m just going through a rough time, they’re there. Not to agree with me, but they’re there to help and to challenge everything that I’m doing.

That, to me, is the definition of true friendship. That’s the type of friend that I am with people, also. I’m constantly helping my friends evolve, and grow, and become better men. Better fathers, better partners, for everything. I don’t agree with my friends at all. I just support them so that they can be the best that they can be. That’s the true definition of friendship. Otherwise, you just have a bunch of yes men and yes women. Followers of the words that you say, that are actually doing you more harm than good.