Listening to Ed Sheeran live in concert a few days ago was a wonderful experience. Not only were we treated to his superb music, but what stood out for me as well was the inspiring and touching story he shared of his early days.

He started his career singing in pubs in England. Pubs were places for friends to meet, have their drinks, and speak loudly. He shared that someone singing was considered more of a nuisance rather than an entertainment. He went on to say that most of the time people would have their backs to him while he sang.

But the drive, passion, and calling in him was so strong that he continued singing, not getting disheartened. Slowly people started taking notice of his singing and he said they began turning around to face him and listen to him. The rest is history.

Our lives are defined not so much by what we have achieved as much as by how we stuck to our path during our challenges. There are times we feel that no one else understands what we are trying to do, and the support we desperately need is difficult to come by. We get defined when our conviction doesn’t waver.

It is so easy to give up when the going is tough and to blame life for the unfair advantage others may have over us. We get defined when we don’t lose faith and endurance during our struggle.

Things take the time they take, not the time in which we want them to happen. The in-between is the most trying period. We get tested and defined when we develop the patience and the good sense to know that eventually, things do play out.

Ed Sheeran won every heart when he confessed that playing to a crowd of 65,000 people seemed like a dream, and even today when he closed his eyes, he could see the backs of the people sitting in the pubs. This, coming from one of the most famous and successful musicians in the world. Our humility defines us.

We all go through challenging periods in our life. It is during our toughest times that we need to keep the tune alive within and remind ourselves of the most powerful attitude we are capable of – when the world turns its back on us, we need to keep singing.

(Picture – Ed Sheeran concert, Vancouver)