Everyone has a dream or goal in life that they are working toward. For some it is a family, for others it is becoming president, and for many it is finding a perfect career. In my opinion, a perfect career is something that you will look forward to every day. You will never get sick of doing your job, and it won't actually feel like a job. It will feel like a normal and completely acceptable part of your life. The paycheck is just the added bonus.

There is that saying, "I work to live, not live to work." I completely agree with this statement, but for the small percentage of the population who have reached their lifelong-goal, this statement can be reversed, and I would then argue that this is the way life should actually be.

So if we all have something to work toward, why is it that the majority of people don't reach out and grab a hold of their dreams?

Because it is scary! That's why. Too many factors can prohibit an individual from following their dreams. Responsibilities add up, a lack of support, and a fear of failing are among a few of the reasons that people don't go for it.

Responsibility - Maybe your goal is to travel and live in several other countries throughout your life. It's a great idea, and is an exciting future. What happens, though, if you meet your soul mate and start a family? Your dreams have just been put on the back burner and may never come back. You now have a child to support and more mouths to feed. To do this, you must work for that paycheck to afford your increased expenses.

Quitting your job and moving to another country seems out of the question. What if you can't get a job? What if you can't pay the bills, have to move back, and can't get your old job back? What if the rest of my family can't learn the language? All these questions will prevent you from making that next step.

Perhaps a family member has become ill, and you must stay close to help care for them. You would obviously not think twice, but it is an added responsibility that squashes your dream.

Ultimately, the more external responsibilities that you incur, the less chance you will have to reach for your dreams.

Lack of Support - A lot of us want to set our own schedules and work for ourselves. We want to be our own boss, and possibly some other people's boss. What we don't want is someone telling us what to do everyday, or to sit in front of a computer for hours on end. This means, that starting and owning a business is one of our goals or dreams.

Starting a business is not easy and is a lot of work, but if it is something we are passionate about, it may be worth it. But, what if our awesome idea for a start-up is really only awesome to ourselves? What do you do when your entire family and group of friends disapproves of your idea? It is really tough to go for something without a support system, especially when funding is not easy to come by.

Article after article tells us that starting a business is tough work, and most fail. Well if most fail, why won't ours? The doubt and the constant stigma about start-ups causes nothing but fear, and in many cases will cause us to forget the idea entirely. We live in a time that puts practical money on a pedestal. We are taught to enter the rat race and earn our money like the rest of the world.

Seldom are we told to chase after our dreams and do what we love. Without a support system, dreams and goals drift further and further away, until most of us let them disappear into the sky to be lost forever.

Fear of Failing - We always hear great stories of success of the people who put everything on the line and make it happen, but for every one story of success there are at least a dozen failures. (It's really probably closer to 1 to 1,000)

A lot of times, our goals or dreams are attainable only by risking everything we've got. Failing means losing everything, and being left in a terrible position. The fear of falling into that pit is enough to make anyone run in the opposite direction towards safety.

Overcoming this fear is likely a combination of all the discussed elements. With very few external responsibilities, a solid support system, funding, and confidence, the fear of failing may subside, and we can go for the goal and reach for our dreams.

Until all of these stars line up perfectly, there is a small percentage of us who will actually go for it. This is why it is hard to follow our dreams.