set the world alight
To do wonderful or exciting things; to cause a great or remarkable sensation in the world; to be extremely exciting, popular, famous, renowned, etc. (Often used in the negative to indicate the opposite.) I wouldn't be too concerned with what he thinks of you. For all his money and education, he's hardly setting the world alight, is he? As a girl, Janet dreamed of setting the world alight as a famous actress.
set the world alight (or on fire)
achieve something sensational. informal A British variant of this expression is set the Thames on fire .
1976 Dick Francis In the Frame He was the same sort of man my father had been, middle-aged, middle-of-the-road, expert at his chosen job but unlikely to set the world on fire.