Yesterday I saw a young man in the library bent over his laptop, with his hands holding the weight of his head. He kept whispering to himself, “I can do this.” He was a 25 year old college student battling severe dyslexia. He’s dedicated to attaining his Master’s in English.

Today I was driving into the city and saw the same homeless woman, underneath the same street sign, with the same dazed look. She was promising naïve passerby’s that their five dollars wouldn’t go to more alcohol; a promise she’s already broken. She’s battling alcoholism. She’s dedicated to promising her lips, “Just one more taste.”

Two completely different lives, with different dreams and different struggles. But they’re not very different after all. The truth is, we all dedicate our lives to something. Sometimes consciously, other times we don’t realize what we’ve devoted our existence to until our last breath. For some people, they dedicated their lives to their career. Studied all hours of the night through college to obtain that piece of paper that gave them the “go ahead” for their next steps. Others, dedicate their life to their family. To pleasing everyone. To dropping everything they’ve ever wanted just to see their loved ones happy; even if it was temporary. Then you have the unconscious devotees. They’re lying in a hospital bed with a failing liver and realizing the past 50 years have been nothing but an alcohol-induced blur. And sometimes it’s not so dramatic. Sometimes they’re forty, sitting on the couch, realizing they’ve devoted their life to mediocrity. They’ve done the whole typical “life” checklist. Go to school. Hold a job. Maybe get married. Maybe start a family. Maybe even hit all the tourist infested towns every spring break and live up the typical tourist agenda. But there was no travel. No exploring. No life changing or brutal lesson learning adventures. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a life to be proud of, as all lives are uniquely designed. But why aren’t we striving for more?

We write plea deals to Time, begging Him for just one last breath, whether it be our own or the soul we’re struggling to say good-bye to. Crying out to Him with snot infested sobs, and punched walls, “if I only had one more day with them – why, why did You end so soon?”

We send hate-mail to Death, cursing Her for being the recurrent nightmare that infests our reality. As we lay awake at night, tears tracing our jawlines, concrete hardening in our chests, we realize that Time and Death have always been conjoined twins, in agreeance with pain and sorrow.

We spit on Love’s feet as She walks by in Her captivating red dress, convinced Her crooked smile matches Her intent to always leave with a carving knife to our lungs. God, do we envy Her when we have our first crush, celebrate our first Valentine’s dinner, or hear our first, “I do.” But when She flees, we run after Her with a heart poisoned with vengeance, and begin an intimate relationship with Her evil step sister, Heartbreak.

We argue with Time, Death, and Love, testifying that the tiny print in the contracts wasn’t bold enough for us to read. As if we never knew that Time came to an end, Death knocked on every breathing door, and Love came in crashing tidal waves. But the ones who spend their days reading the fine print, are the ones who have unconsciously devoted their life to fleeting happiness, and poisonous regret.

Stop waiting for Time to throw empty hourglasses through your bedroom window. Stop waiting for Death to send you another funeral announcement. Stop waiting for Love to kiss you and run away with a chunk of your soul attached to her lips.

Dedicate your life now. Whether you’re 15 or 74, it’s never too late to welcome Life into your lungs with a deep inhale. Dedicate your life to exploration. Promise yourself you’ll leave the country you were born into at least once. And don’t allow yourself to set up the typical itinerary with the popular museums, restaurants, and tours. Leave your hotel room and ask the local farmer where he goes to pray for rain. Ask the small business owner where she was standing when she knew was going to open a dress boutique. Sit down on the sidewalk and listen to the homeless man tell you about the ally he nearly killed himself in, before he heard God’s voice. And when you’re done, go to these three places, and learn how to be alive. Stand in them, and acknowledge that you are standing in the exact spot that a soul was permanently altered. You are breathing in the air that filled someone else’s lungs with hope and inspiration. Your heartbeat is in sync with the rhythm of the footsteps of the past souls who hugged those paved roads, begging for mercy and forgiveness.

We turn into an overdramatic child when we step foot on the stage that our idol singer has preformed on. We breathe in the smell of history when we walk through the front door of a deceased president’s home. So learn how to reach this excitement with every waking moment. Be seduced by the fact that no matter where you step, you are encountering past, present, and future souls. Sit on the abandoned park bench that’s being overthrown by uncut grass and acknowledge that you’re sitting in the exact spot someone proposed to their soulmate. The exact spot that someone decided their life wasn’t ready to be taken. The exact spot that someone made a plea with the Lord, begging Him for those five more minutes. Breathe in the world around you, and be seduced with the knowledge that you are yet another fleeting soul, printing a history book for the future.

Realize that it’s never too late to dedicate your life. Or to rededicate it. You may be 17, dedicating your life to spontaneity and questionable decisions. You may be 64, rededicating your life to knowledge, and enrolling for your third doctorate degree. You may be 93, struggling to inhale your last dose of oxygen, and dedicating your life to acceptance and forgiveness. But never stop. Never stop dedicating. Because whether you choose to or not, your life will be devoted to something. Don’t let Time, Death, and Love choose for you.