According to the Mayo Clinic page, "generally, forgiveness is a decision to let go of bitterness and ideas of retaliation." "Forgiveness is not about forgetting... it's about letting go of another person's quote," says one character in the novel The Shack. Forgiveness is a process, not an end result. It doesn't mean that you accept other people's behaviors or mistakes without holding them accountable for them. Forgiving someone means that you have decided that their actions did not cause you enough pain to keep you from moving on with your life. You have made a conscious choice to release them from some of the guilt they may have caused you. While it can be difficult to forgive others, doing so allows you to move on with your life. It keeps you from dwelling on the past and prevents future problems by preventing people from breaking your heart again. People often think that if someone has been forgiven, then there is no hope for them. This is not true. Even though people continue to sin against us, we can still choose to forgive them. Forgiving someone does not mean that we approve of their behavior toward us. It simply means that we have made our peace with them and are ready to move on with our lives. For example, let's say that you were wronged by someone who used their position of power over you. If this person betrayed your trust by acting without honor, they deserve punishment.