Countless times people end up doing work that isn’t exactly their calling in life and there are many reasons for this—everything from needing to pay off school to a wide variety of family issues. Such individuals learn to settle with their employment. Sometimes it takes something absolutely jarring to knock them off their throne of complacency. So you’ve tried life the traditional way, now perhaps you should try to realize your own American Dream. Is there something you wanted to study in school that you didn’t have the time or resources to study the first time around? It’s amazing the financial aid that is available to nontraditional students to finish or further your college education. So, what’s your dream?

The news stations are peppering scary stories about the economy with lighthearted tales about folks who were forced out of the office and their comfort zone only to go back to school to do what they’ve always dreamed of doing. A woman forced to work in a waffle restaurant realizes her calling as a pastry chef and enrolls in cooking school—things like that. The fired advertising exec who finally has time to put pen to paper and write that book. We love stories like this—so what’s your story?

There is nothing more disheartening than hearing a young college student mutter something like, “I don’t care what I do as long as it makes money.” Because in truth, you do care. Realizing and following your passion is imperative to happiness and even has positive health benefits (–hey never underestimate the power of fantastic mental health’s affect on your physical health) as well as improved interpersonal relationships and just a better sense of self satisfaction. So, how do you get the ball rolling?

If you’re reading this, you’ve obviously got access to a computer and that’s a fantastic place to start. Think of all the facets of what you most enjoy doing and Google the heck out of it until you can establish your path. For example if you love to play video games, how would you be at designing them? Or testing them? Or promoting them? Hey—how do you think those things turn out so amazing? Then you’ll want to see what resources are available around you for a related education so that you can set your dream in motion. A Chinese proverb says, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

We get comfortable spinning around in our normal circles. A shakeup like a layoff may be just what it takes for you to break out and finally live your dream. Give your life a performance review and figure out where you want to go. Whether it’s a different career or a career upgrade, perhaps in the end you’ll discover that the recession could be responsible for helping you to realize your dreams.

If you already have a college degree and you have years of work experience under your belt, why should you consider going back to school? Why not go back for the best reason of all—personal fulfillment.

The first time out, you attacked school with vim and vigor, followed your coursework outline for your intended career to the T. Then, due to either impatience or more likely expense, you took the minimum amount of classes possible in order to obtain your degree. After graduation, you probably went to work, maybe fast-tracked your way through, possibly even taking occasional classes along the way to simply benefit your workplace. When you’ve had a good run of things after a dozen plus years at work, did you suddenly realize that you cheated yourself of the education you really desired to get? Sans the frat-house experiences, did you miss something in school the first time out that you thought you’d catch later?

I cannot tell you the number of friends I speak with on a regular basis who have college regrets. Some obviously only desire to have a degree—how many times have you heard about someone being just “15 credits shy” of having their bachelor’s degree? But almost equally as tragic is that individual who planned their college map and followed it precisely and avoided taking any meandering side routes or hitting any rest stops along to way. In other words, they took the trip but forgot to enjoy the scenery.

Story time: A friend was just telling me the other day that since her parents had paid for her education she felt obligated to stay on course and never got to take the things that really interested her. She wanted to pursue women’s studies and take an art class but never took the opportunity while she was enrolled in college. A guy friend said that he’d wanted to take military history because it interested him, but wasn’t at all necessary for his accounting degree, so he didn’t.

Enrolling in college has never been easier. Financing is also widely available and easy to obtain. With online programs, there has never been a better time to go back to school. Did you know that online college programs allow you to arrange virtual study groups and attend lectures from the comfort of your own home? If this seems a little too hands-off for you, consider that most local colleges are limited resources due to size or budget. Attending online means that you’re drawing from a larger pool of qualified professors, speakers and if you desire, even career counselors. It’s really an amazing opportunity to get a top-notch education.

Selecting a college to attend online can be a harried process, especially when you Google and see just what all is out there. Even state universities are branching out and offering classes online that range from very part time to full time. In researching online educational choices, the same ones make the top of our lists each and every time: CTU, University of Phoenix, and Kaplan. These are colleges you can attend in the privacy of your own study, on your own terms, with flexible payment plans—from start to finish. Best of all, these institutions basically pioneered the concept of online education, so you’re dealing with folks who have a tried and true educational plan and an extensive bank of success stories you can reference. Ease, reliability, solid track record—that’s what we judged our picks on. Equally important in our decision making is the fact that these universities have an extensive roster of classes, areas of study and degree programs from which to choose—better than anything else we’ve seen out there to this point.

So, if your first time out in college was slightly less than fulfilling, consider returning on your own terms. Of course any number of universities will help you achieve a degree or complete designated continuation education studies, but don’t underestimate the importance of personal fulfillment when it comes to selecting your choice of college or coursework.