Don't make mistakes.

In 2008, I drank iced coffee.

Have you ever been judged for past mistakes?  It's just great.  It really makes me feel as though my efforts to change myself into someone better are being noticed.  Am I being too bitter?  Sorry.  You should probably judge me for that, too.

We've already established that I go to one of the BYU schools, and so you can assume correctly that I'm a member of the Mormon church.  I love this church, and all that it stands for.  I believe with every fiber of my being that the gospel and doctrines that it proclaims are true.  One of the best things about this church is that we believe in the redemption of our sins.  We believe that no matter what the sin, no matter how big or small, that our Heavenly Father will forgive us if we show Him that we are sorry and make the decision to change.

So, in 2008, I drank iced coffee [which, by the standards of my Church, was a mistake]. Since then, I have realized that it was wrong.  I have decided that I won't do that anymore.  However, there's a story that I like to tell, about a time when my friend and I were so hyped up on caffeine from iced coffee that our friend could hear us playing a game in our 3rd floor apartment from across the street and a building over.  Just because the story is funny doesn't mean that my actions are justified.  I know that.  But just because my actions were a mistake doesn't make the story any less funny.  At least, I don't think so.

I've been judged before.  I've done a lot of stupid things.  But for every single one of those mistakes, I've felt horrible and made the active decision to stop, to change myself, to want to be better.

But some people don't see that.  Some people don't know about:

life lesson #5
The difference between making a mistake and feeling guilty about it is that you can't feel guilty if the mistake helped you become a better person in the long-run.  Feeling guilty is just a waste of time and energy.  Remorse and immediate action are a much more efficient way to deal with mistakes.

So go ahead and search for perfection, Andrew.  I'd much rather experience all the elements of this life, good and bad.