Content Writer 
Gen Z is living in the most opportunity-filled era ever, yet many of us are still afraid to have big dreams. Not because we don’t want to, but because we worry about expectations, failure, comparison, and being judged. In a world where everything is visible online, dreaming can sometimes feel like a risky performance. We start asking: “What if I fail? What if people laugh? What if I don’t become that person I want to be?”
But here is the truth: every groundbreaking movement in history started because young people dared to dream something beyond what the world thought was “realistic.”
Stephen Curry: A Masterclass in Turning Doubt Into Destiny
Take Stephen Curry.
Everyone knows him now as a four-time NBA Champion and the greatest shooter ever, but not everyone remembers the part when he was ignored, doubted, and underestimated. When he was young, Curry was considered “too small” (BBC, 2024). Coaches didn’t fight to recruit him. He didn’t get major offers from big universities. The odds were not designed for him to win.
So, how did he move forward?
He kept the dream, practiced beyond what was expected, and consistently believed that his vision mattered. His commitment eventually changed the NBA forever.
Curry’s story teaches us: dreams don’t need permission. Dreams don’t have to look reasonable. Dreams are not about who you are today. They are about who you choose to become.
How Your Circle Shapes Gen Z Big Dreams and Future Ambition
But here’s another important angle — who we surround ourselves with strongly influences the kind of dreams we feel “allowed” to have. Research from Harvard shows that strong social support and meaningful networks shape our motivation, resilience, and mental health (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 2025).
So this is the real challenge for Gen Z: are we spending time with people who make our world bigger? Or are we with people who make our dreams shrink?
Youth empowerment is not only about access. It is about mentality, environment, and identity. It’s about deciding that your life is not limited by your background. It’s about refusing to let fear silence your ambition.
Why Gen Z Big Dreams Start Before You Feel Ready
We don’t have to wait until we have more experience, more money, more connections, or more clarity. The most powerful moment to dream is exactly now — when we are still building, still exploring, still figuring things out.
And each time we choose to be unapologetically ambitious, we send a message to ourselves: I deserve to try. I deserve to grow. I have the right to imagine something extraordinary.
So, to every young person reading this — write that dream down. Protect it. Defend it. Build it in small steps every day.
References:
- BBC. (2024). How Curry rebuilt basketball. BBC Sport. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/extra/zxack0e542/How-Curry-rebuilt-basketball
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2025, October 9). Strong social connections could boost healthy aging, experts say. https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/strong-social-connections-could-boost-healthy-aging-experts-say/
Read more on our previous article: Relevance of Old-Model Youth Organizations to Gen Z Identity Growth
Writer: Florencia Merrie Burhan
Editor: Tesalonika Kristianti
