Bill Gates retired recently and stepped down from any role at Microsoft to work at his Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, giving money away to charities.

Whether or not you like the man (or Microsoft as a company) you have to admit, that he’s won. When I mean won, I mean WON. He’s been the richest man in the world, and has more accumulated wealth than many small countries. He can go anywhere, do anything, and buy ANYTHING he truly wants. And what does he want to do?

Give it away.

The VAST majority of us will never have the opportunity to do many of the things that Bill Gates has done, and he’s just getting started.

You’ve Come a Long Way Baby!

In a SINGLE lifetime, Bill Gates has built up a company that employs over 89,000 employees across the planet. He’s minted more millionaires, and BILLIONAIRES through employee stock options and benefits than any other company in history.

He’s taken a tiny software company and turned it into a multi-billion dollar powerhouse that produced the de-facto standard operating system for nearly every personal computer on the planet.

Small businesses start up, dreaming of getting big enough to be noticed (and bought out) by Microsoft.

Why Leave Now?

So why is Bill leaving the mothership to pursue ‘other opportunities’? Because he CAN!

Most people stay with jobs they dislike to provide for their families. Having nearly unlimited resources guarantees that you never have to work at a job you don’t enjoy. If you don’t like what you’re doing, you have the ability to leave, look around, and find something you do enjoy, and do that instead.

Bill has conquered the business world AND the technical world so far, so what reason does he have to stick around and guide the Borg-cube? Steve Ballmer is at the reigns of the company doing a more-than-adequate job of guiding the software giant into the future. It has probably become more task than treat to be the lead at Microsoft in recent years. So you know, when the rich get bored, they go do something interesting.

The Future’s So Bright, I’ve Gotta Wear Shades

Bill has joined his wife to work full time on his philanthropic pursuits; The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.

This foundation, endowed already with some $50+ BILLION (yes, billion, with a capital B) is aiming to make the entire planet a better place.

Some of their current initiatives;

•  EnterpriseWorks/VITA – Doing rainwater studies for poor countries
• The Performing Arts Center Eastside – Grants to provide aid for art.
• Disease Investigation and Preventions – For global diseases such as Acute Diarrheal Illness (2-3 million deaths per year currently), Acute Lower Respiratory infections (2 million deaths per year), HIV/Aids, Malaria, and other diseases plaguing the world.

Solving any ONE of these issues/problems would greatly change the world, Bill and Melinda are shooting for all of these.

Do YOUR Part

Joe Average out on the street will never be able to effect this much change in the world. But there are things you can do to help make changes. Getting your own finances in order and taking self-control is the very first step. If you’re not a burden, you have the opportunity to begin to help society.

Money is power, and having money is having the power to make positive changes. As you grow your wealth, you move from a powerless state to a powerful one. Opportunities to effect change will present themselves as you move along the wealth building trail. Contributing to civic activities, your church, schools, or other charities is a good way to allow the individual to make the world a better place.

Shouldn’t you be out doing something positive with your life?!??

Have ideas how individuals can make the world a better place?? Share them with us via comments.