What is a revolution? A revolutionary situation or event is when there are significant changes happening in your surroundings that influence you, and eventually, yourself.

A revolution can be defined as an internal change or process. It’s not just something that happens to you, but something you actively work towards. Whether it’s changing how you talk about politics with friends, investing in green products, or starting off on your own business, every day we have choices.

We could keep living our same lives, spending our money the way our parents did, and going to the same places and eating at the same restaurants, but that wouldn’t make us happy.

So, what makes us happier? Investing in ourselves and things that bring us joy. That's why creating a lifestyle of productivity and self-care is so important. You will feel better if you do this.

There’s also society’s perception of what success looks like. Wealthy people are portrayed as successful, but only a small percentage of the population enjoys reading books, listening to music, traveling, and engaging in other experiences that take time away from TV shows and online shopping.

These things contribute to who you are as a person and help you find happiness. This isn't saying that being wealthy is a bad thing, but instead asking how you can enhance your personal life skills to create more satisfying relationships with others and yourself.

Gathers momentum

Recent revolutionary movements have succeeded because of how they gathered momentum. They created an environment where people were invited to participate in, contribute to, and even lead these revolutions.

This is very different from what was happening before. People with similar interests didn’t interact with each other. There weren’t easy ways to get involved.

With all this isolation, there wasn’t much communication taking place. This made it hard to know who was loyal and who was not.

It also made it difficult to identify potential threats or opportunities so that we could take action accordingly.

Revolutionary environments are rife with activity. There are meetings, discussions, activities, and collaborations occurring constantly.

Participants come together for a specific purpose but leave inspired by something more than just that. They left feeling like they had learned something beyond the initial goal.

These participants feel connected and part of something bigger than themselves. These connections can last indefinitely which is why making space for them is important.

In addition to encouraging participation, revolutionaries make sure to acknowledge and reward those efforts. A little praise goes a long way.

Making room for diverse opinions and beliefs helps create an open dialogue which is crucial to success. It also brings about motivation when you see others agree with you.

When making changes, be careful not to alienate anyone. You don’t want to turn off potential allies or supporters at the first mistake.

Gains support from the public

Recent revolutions in Latin America, the Arab world, and elsewhere have been successful because they were able to gain the backing of the public at large.

They benefited from an environment where most people were hungry for change. Threats such as death or exile are not necessary conditions for revolution, but they do aid in its success.

When enough people want something, anything can happen. This is what makes revolutions possible.

A few years ago, many Americans were fed up with their government’s wasteful spending habits. They had seen no improvement in their own lives during the previous decade, so they gave little hope that things would get better under new leadership.

In September 2008, Barack Obama announced his candidacy for president. He spoke about breaking down barriers, bringing out the best in individuals, and giving everyone a chance to succeed.

Obama tapped into this desire for change and helped inspire an entire generation to take action against the status quo. His message resonated with ordinary people who wanted to believe that it was possible to make positive changes in the country.

Since he took office, Obama has done just that. He has worked hard to bring about significant change by challenging the normed thinking within our society.

The government reacts

Over the past two centuries, there have been seven major revolutions and changes to the political system that we use today. Some were caused by an external force — like when Napoleon invaded Europe or the United States was overthrown. Others were led by people who wanted a change, such as when Lincoln fought for the emancipation of slaves or Gandhi used his peaceful protest tactics to bring about India’s independence from Britain.

But none of these successful shifts in power happened without some action on part of those in authority first. They created conditions that made it easy for others to rise up and take control.

External forces may not be necessary, but they do help create opportunities for internal leadership to emerge. When enough people are dissatisfied with their leaders, then someone else can step forward and claim responsibility for changing things.

This is what happened during the Arab Spring. After years of economic hardship and rising discontent, protests broke out across North Africa and the Middle East. People took to the streets to demand new leaders, and once they had taken over the country, they usually gave themselves a new name – a republic, democracy, or even a monarchy. It doesn’t matter which one you call it, but you must acknowledge it – this regime change was successful because of individuals willing to take action and assume responsibility.

Internal forces are also important in making sure that your own actions have positive outcomes.

The revolution grows

Recent revolutions in North Africa and the Middle East have been successful because they were not focused only on ousting an existing leader, but also creating an environment where it is easy to start new organizations and initiatives.

This was the case for both the Arab Spring and the Spanish Revolution of 1936-39. During these periods, people had access to media sources, online forums, and free speech so that individuals could organize around political ideas without incurring threat or punishment from outside forces.

In fact, some even organized into opposition parties! This helped foster an open climate which allowed for progress towards democracy.

Furthermore, during this time there was an abundance of resources and goods due to the downfall of past regimes. As mentioned before, there was an incentive to take what you need to survive and use those resources for yourself instead of keeping them for the old regime.

These factors contributed to a growing space for opportunity; opportunities that gave rise to new governments and leaderships.

Leadership is important

As we have seen, leadership is an essential ingredient in any successful revolution. Without it, your revolutionaries will not work together towards a common goal.

This can be because of personal differences (who wants to work with that person?), or because one individual gets too powerful and other members feel threatened.

It could also be due to a lack of understanding as to what their role is in the team. For example, someone who has been chosen leader may believe they are already doing enough, so they do not want to make changes for fear of being accused of incompetence.

Leaders must understand their position in the group and how people relate to them. They need to motivate others to contribute and inspire confidence in themselves and the rest of the team.

Organize your group

As we discussed, revolutions occur when enough people come together to create a change they want to see happen. They are usually triggered by an event that sparks off a process of discussion and mobilization.

This is true for any large-scale change you’ll find happening in our world today. A recent example was the fall 2014 uprising across Arab nations against their respective governments.

That happened because events such as these often spark conversations about power and how to gain it or keep it. When this happens, some people begin organizing to push forward what they believe should be done so leadership can notice and take note.

These shifts in momentum are sometimes hard to predict. But once they happen, things quickly escalate – which is why we must prepare ourselves for whatever comes next.

On that note, now let’s talk about three important groups that play a crucial role in shaping successful revolutions.

Know your history

What is the defining feature of any successful revolution? It’s not violence, nor is it an appeal to people’s moral better ness. Rather, it’s knowledge.

A revolutionary movement comes together when enough people have accumulated enough information about the systems in place that empower the existing power structure.

This information includes details on how the system works, what can be done to change it, and who might help you achieve this goal. And all of these things must be gathered coherently — no haphazard bits here and there!

When enough people have this level of knowledge, then they can come together to challenge the status quo with vigor. They know what will work, and they are sure of themselves.

That brings us back to our first point: knowing where you stand. For every person involved in a revolution, this principle applies. You should always know what you believe and why.

For example, if someone tries to drag you into their argument, ask yourself whether they really have your best interest at heart.

Use propaganda

Propaganda is telling someone something that you know they want to hear, and using logic and argument to strengthen your position.

This does not mean saying things that are totally false; it means saying things that appeal to them, that use their beliefs as a basis for reasoning.

Using propaganda effectively takes time to do properly, but there are some basic rules that can help.

You will find it very difficult to achieve success if you cannot identify the types of messages and media that influence people – what we call ‘message sources’.

These include television, radio programmes, films, advertisements, public statements and events, etc.

By analyzing these message sources, and how individual people react to them, you can gain valuable insights into how best to promote a product or idea.

In this way, you will be able to manipulate the message in ways that match each person, which is an effective weapon in the battle against resistance to change.