Hello Jimbo, my friend @churdtzu shared this article with me in hopes of also sharing my point of view and recommendations. I took the leap that you want to take. Perhaps my opinion advice might work you, perhaps it might not. But here goes:
My passion were cars, rock n' roll and discovering new places, I wanted to design, and build sports cars, i needed to study a Bachelor in Automotive Design but in my country Mexico there wasn't that career, it was only available in USA, Italy and other European countries. I really wanted this, so I decided to study International Business to grow my income by working in a successful company. A necessary evil, i thought at that time.
I invested 4 years of my life studying international business and postponing my passion. But, many things happen in 4 years, I studied a subject of entrepreneurship and everything changed. I felt the need. Unsatisfied, hopeful, and wishful.
I still needed money, so I worked as a SAP FI in a big corporation, 6 months. I just couldn't stand it... sitting everyday, doing the same stuff, like a mindless zombie, making money for someone i would never meet.
I began to develop an idea that I thought could solve a problem to someone. I began building the UX, very amateur. I worked on it while also working, validating my idea with friends, and people that I knew could be my potential customer. Then I saw it... An opportunity to "launch" my startup, an application to a competition. The price was small but i had nothing to lose. I participated and lost, but the need was quenched.... somehow.
So I took the leap, I quit my job, and asked for the support of my family and friends, I started to take courses and be a conferencist. And assembled a team. I applied to a startup accelerator, and am currently closing my first deal, and applied to startup loans to be able to buy material and my product.
Right now, I couldn't be more happy with the course of action i'm taking. My goals changed a bit, they took another form, but they are still in my gaze, and braking the routine, starting a business (that may fail), is the best I could do with what I had.
My situation is different than yours, in the sense that I have no family in my own, but... I understand your need, If you want to talk more, here I am. I hope i could help you with what I wrote here. Cheers.
RE: Why am I so scared to start a business?