is africa a closet millionaire?

forgive me, but i've been inspired...

professor jeff fadiman guest lectured in my global business class tonight on africa, focusing on the riches that are available there.  if you want my notes, let me know & i'll send you a copy.  the amount of gold, oil, etc there is AMAZING.  stupid corruption ruins it all.

anyway, i have "life envy."  prof jeff has used marketing and business to change the lives of thousands of people...while making enough profit to live.  really, he probably makes a whole lot of profit.  dude's got at least 12 schools and 2 orphanages in africa, is involved in microfinancing, and creates business opportunities for many.  he even offered up an opportunity for each of us...a great business idea to go make cash in africa.  man, would i love to go. (lauraorange, i would LOVE for you to meet this guy...he also went to Stanford...hehehe)

it's funny, because this morning i read an email that i sent my mom & dad in 2001 about how i never imagined i'd end up in corporate america.  i grew up thinking i'd be a youth minister some day.  i still cling to that, and i still struggle with the fact that i work for The Man (not God), but my dream is definitely changing.  in my email, i said, "Someone in church once told me that my definition of ministry would be changing.  I think it's just changed."  the path i've followed and continue on keeps pushing that definition to change. 

i am where i'm supposed to be...i have no doubt.  i was once told by a not-for-profit director that he didn't want me...i needed to go get real-world experience and  knowledge before i could truly be of value in the 'hood.  i'll never forget that.  (plus, i've now got a ton of debt to pay off)

i'm hoping that tonight's lecture has snapped me out of a state of complacency, though.  i've listened to others dream of changing the world, while keeping my own dreams deep within.  i've begun to float through life without much thought - do the bare minimum to get my mba, do my job without passion, lazily coach another season.  it's not ok.  i want to live a passion-filled life, no matter where God has me.  so i'm going to start looking for those things i'm passionate about in everything i do - luckily, i'm mainly passionate about people, and they're everywhere.  :-)

of course, i would LOVE to travel to africa to get some businesses/schools/whatever running...i would LOVE to open my little shop in the 'hood, hiring innercity kids to give 'em a chance...i would LOVE to give more back to the world...and some day i hope i get to.  i hope that some day i can blog and say i no longer have "life envy."