Jobs, Life Purpose, Etc.

So today at lunch a group of my friends were talking about what they want to do when they leave college (more of a thoughtful, what's-possible kind of conversation since we're freshmen). Such a big question, right? I definitely would love to work with the LGBT community in some way -- I think about gay issues all the time, that's where my passion is. The hard part is in what capacity, though? There seem to be two paths - advocacy and working to create equal rights and better situations for people, and more of the counseling and directly working with people in those tough situations. I feel like for me personally, the most enjoyable thing in the world is listening to people's problems and helping them sort things out. I love the incredible calm that comes with pausing from my own chaotic life and just taking a journey with someone, connecting to what they're feeling at that specific moment. While I am interested in lending my voice to the equal rights movement and volunteering my time, I am not drawn to organize, to delegate tasks, to lead. I am much more interested in working with people one on one. I feel like at Yale and in a world that's competitive in general there can sometimes be pressure to be the leader, the one in charge.. but I think there is significance in other kinds of work, too. Really helping someone accept themselves as queer and become a healthier, more confident person is so important, and a worthwhile way to spend one's life I think. I like what one of my friends said at lunch today about each approach being important - one can affect an immense amount of people to a smaller extent, the other affects fewer people on a deeper level. It's just whatever you are more attracted to specifically.