A recent post at this blog, ‘Who made the rules you follow?’, examined some of the unwritten social rules that we follow, both consciously and unconsciously.

These rules are agreements by which we live our lives. As we have seen throughout human history, breaking a social rule can lead to punishment ranging in seriousness from being ostracized or shunned, to excommunication, banishment, imprisonment, or even execution.

Despite the threats of punishment, there are many who broke the rules, and thereby transformed the old agreements.

You may recognize this famous photo, taken during an antiwar demonstration in 1967.

The 1960′s ushered in a revolution in ways of thinking and living, life. A tumultuous time, it was marked by both an end to innocence*, as well as a longing for more of the same. The old was explosively giving way to the new, as people all around the earth were born into a new era.

*Innocence Is defined in this example as ‘not knowing’ or ‘unaware’.

Revolutions throughout history have a reputation for being loud, violent, bloody, and not always leading to a reliable outcome, depending on your point of view.

Revolutions come in many forms, and each one is unique. The word ‘revolution’ itself has a number of definitions, including this one: “a fundamental change in the way of thinking about or visualizing something: a change of paradigm”.

No matter your current age, you have lived through some form of revolution. In the early 21st century, you will continue to do so daily. Transformation and evolution are happening swiftly, all around us, all over the world.

It may begin with a wish, a new picture for a better way of living.

Perhaps there is a deep desire to let go of the status quo, because it simply doesn’t work anymore. It’s time to get out of the way – here comes the future. It’s evolution, baby!

Revolution comes from within. Before any social change is created in the outer world, in the United States and abroad, it first of all begins within. True revolution is not imposed on us from some force ‘out there’. We create it; when we are ready for new growth and change, it comes easily.

Many years ago, when I was in my 20's, my friends and I would talk about the revolution that was to come.

We believed that things weren't right, there was so much pain on earth, and that the coming revolution would make everything fair and peaceful.

Our picture was that things were going to change for the better on planet earth, someday.

We had a vague notion that life as we knew it would have to go away, so that a new way of being could come into existence, and that it might get messy first. But it would be totally worth it because life would become easier and more fair for the people who'd been suffering. Plus all the mean people would somehow go away too.