Ideas and Revolutions !

I am an idealist and I believe in the power of ideas ! But what exactly is an idea and why are ideas so important ?
Well, these are the questions I will answer in this post and along the way I shall tell you about my definition of success and fulfillment.

So lets get started with the simplest question of them all ; What is an idea ?
An idea is an outburst of originality, it is an expression of one's individuality, it is the signature of a unique, brave mind willing to challenge the norm, it is the beginning of a revolution !
But how can an idea lead to a revolution ? How can something so humble, born in the mind of a single individual transform into a worldwide phenomenon ?
To answer this question I would like to draw up an analogy between the process of development and a flowing river. High up in the mountains, a river is born from a single stream. The stream itself is born from a source higher up in the mountains that it made up of nothing but a collection of rainwater. This source is analogous to an idea. As the stream flows down the mountain, it joins up with other streams or tributaries to form a larger stream of water all flowing in a common direction, think of this as an idea gaining support from a few individuals who have now joined hands and dedicated themselves to the fulfillment of this idea. Now you can see that as the river flows down the mountain, its volume increases as more individuals dedicate themselves to the idea. However, all is not smooth sailing. The river soon reaches the middle of the mountain where the land is fairly flat and there are many rocks obstructing the river's flow. Consequently, the speed of flow decreases, and the river meanders as it tries to find ways around the obstacles. This is a tough time, it is all about finding ways around problems the idea must confront and opposition to the realization of the idea is at its peak. Nevertheless, even this phase is eventually over and as the river flows down the base of the mountain it sometimes splits up into several distributaries representing different versions of the idea and eventually, the idea is realized and as it joins with the sea, it becomes a part of all of us.
Looking back from the source high up in the mountains, we can see the sea in the distance, and a great sense of satisfaction is felt by the original inspirer of the idea, a sense of fulfillment. Success has been achieved. However, as careful observers, we must note that sucess was not just about the stream from the source, without the tributaries that gave this humble stream its volume and force, it would never have reached the sea below. Therefore, sucess is not an individual achievement, instead it is the result of a coordinated effort of a team that believed in the idea and followed it through to its realization.
Sucess is not about getting to the 'top of the world', it is about moving the world forward.