To give or to receive

I love it when I have an epiphany. I just had a great conversation with my roommate over our future hopes and dreams. At the end of our talk I realized that I want to give more than I receive in life. This acknowledgment hit me hard. Sure this sounds a lot like a theme that springs up during Christmas-time, but even so, if someone wants to receive great joy they will make the decisions that truly help others (that's my opinion).
This has partly to do with my wanting to become a counselor. I don't want to sit around and watch people become depressed and lose their goals in life. I want to be there with them while they're experiencing whatever it is that is making them not be themselves. A lot of this has to do with how I've grown up. Sure, I've been clinically depressed, I'm not at all afraid to make that known. It's like saying I love nature and beauty, that's just something I can't hide (although that's not as serious as depression).
I don't want to be the focal point of a painting. The paintbrush is where I reside, the tool that pushes the picture into view for people to see.