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"For Ojibwe People, making a decision with an eye on seven generations ahead means more than just making a long-term decision. It means taking into consideration the lives of seven generations of children.

The idea is: whatever you do today will impact things far into the future. If you pollute the air today, then generations from now, the air will be poisonous to breathe. Chopping down a tree today will mean depleted resources years from now, and so on.

Most people in the United States — and across the world — understand this phenomenon, but usually forget it when it comes to making business decisions. Often our "long-term" decisions only take into account what could happen in the next five or ten or 20 years. People very rarely think seven generations ahead.

According to Ojibwe tradition, thinking seven generations ahead means that your decisions are not selfish and rash. It means that your decisions take into consideration the circle of life. Although it is not always possible to plan so far in advance, it’s important to hold seven generations as an ideal."

For another glimpse into the value of an ideal read on ...