That sheepish feeling: don’t let your mistakes define who you are

A man goes into a bar.

There’s an old guy in there, sitting all alone, looking gloomy.

“What’s up?” asks the newcomer.

“I really hate my nickname,” says the old guy.

“Oh, why?” he asks.

“Well,” says the old man, “I’ve been a carpenter for 40 years. Do they call me Sam the Carpenter? Oh, no.

“And I’m a keen photographer. I’ve taken over 10,000 photos in the last ten years. Do they call me Sam the Phototographer? Of course not.

“And I’ve been collecting all my life – stamps, coins, china. Do they call me Sam the Collector? No chance.

“But shag just one lousy sheep…”

You don’t need to let your mistakes define who you are

An error of judgment is something you’ve done, not something you are.

Whatever other people think or say about you, it’s still possible to rise above the shame of having made mistakes in the past, and make the effort to build a new future for yourself and your family.