Somewhere along the way, we started shrinking our dreams to fit into the comfort zones others built for us. Parents, teachers, bosses, even friends — most of them mean well. They want us to be safe, stable, secure. But “safe” can sometimes become a quiet cage, wrapped in good intentions.
You are allowed to want more. More than what you were told is realistic. More than what fits neatly into someone else’s idea of success. You are allowed to outgrow the expectations that once defined you. You are allowed to dream so big that it scares even you a little.
Because here’s the truth — every dream that ever changed the world started as something too big for someone else’s imagination. If everyone around you completely understands your dream, it’s probably not big enough yet.
The hardest part isn’t dreaming big; it’s believing you deserve to. Especially when people around you seem content with “good enough.” You start to wonder if you’re being ungrateful, or unreasonable. You’re not. Wanting more from life doesn’t mean you don’t appreciate what you already have — it means you’re alive enough to imagine what else could be.
Sometimes, the people who love you the most will be the ones who unintentionally limit you the most. They’ll try to protect you from disappointment, failure, or heartbreak. But protection can look a lot like permission to stop trying. You don’t need that kind of permission anymore.
You can chase what sets your heart on fire. You can rewrite your story. You can be the first in your family, your circle, your town to do something different. You can walk away from “secure” to chase something more meaningful. And if you fail, so what? You’ll fail on your own terms — not while living someone else’s version of your life.
Dream bigger than the life others imagined for you. Because one day, someone will look at you and realize that their own dreams just got a little bigger too — simply because you dared to go first.
Kenrick Vaz 