There was once a boy who began singing, and playing guitar when he was 4 years old. He came from a very strict background. His parents didn’t allow him the liberties and freedom that all other young children had. In addition to his strict home situation, he also was experiencing bullying at school. He hated school and had next to no friends. Finally, one day he decided to quit school and follow his dreams of making it in the music industry. The dream rapidly seemed to crash and he was left singing on the corner in order to earn a few pennies to buy food. He was homeless.
He would sleep on buses and trains just to stay out of the weather. This lasted for 3 YEARS!!! 3 years of chasing his dreams with nowhere to live, and nothing to show for it… Even when he didn’t have the money to eat, he didn’t give up singing and playing his music. To his surprise, some of his songs went viral on iTunes. Even reaching the #2 spot on the iTunes chart! By the end of the year, his album sold 801,000 copies. His album was the 8th best selling album of the year. His latest single topped the charts all of the world.
His name?
Ed Sheeran. Today he’s mentored by Elton John. Paul McCartney says he’s a fan. Ed even writes songs for Taylor Swift and One Direction. Ed Sheeran’s story demonstrates the importance of resilience. No one has an easy past. Everyone has struggled and has struggles. This is the key to a successful and strong future. When you are struggling, don’t give up. Struggles are needed to make things better. Its during the darkest times that we have the opportunity to learn about ourselves. This determination: it is resilience.