Shift the Equilibrium: What Chemistry Teaches Us About Progress

Have you ever noticed how some people stay in the same spot for years, not because they lack ideas, but because they never move? They wait for perfect conditions that never come. It is like living in balance, yet never breaking free.

Chemists have a name for this balance. It is called Le Chatelier’s Principle. The principle states that when a system at equilibrium is disturbed, it shifts in a direction that counteracts the disturbance and restores balance. Add more reactants, and the system produces more products. Change temperature or pressure, and it adjusts to restore stability.

This law not only applies in laboratories but also plays out every day in our lives. We all live in a kind of personal equilibrium. Our habits, comfort zones, and routines create a steady state. But this same balance can also keep us from growing.

I once knew someone who always had access to funds she could borrow for business. She had good ideas but never acted on them. She only borrowed when emergencies came up. Life had given her a safe balance: just enough to get by, but never enough to grow. She never disturbed her equilibrium, so the reaction of progress never began.

Disturb the System

The lesson is simple. When something truly matters to you, you must be ready to disturb your system in a meaningful way.

If you need a laptop to learn a new skill or a phone to start an online business, do not just accept life without it. Find every legal and ethical means to acquire it. You could apply for a non-interest loan, negotiate a part-payment plan, or seek community support. That one bold step changes everything. Like in chemistry, your life will shift to counter the disturbance and move you closer to your goal.

However, as Muslims, we also understand that effort alone is not enough. It must be accompanied by tawakkul—trust and reliance on Allah. Tawakkul means doing your best within your capacity while leaving the outcome to Allah with complete faith. When you take deliberate, lawful steps toward your goal and place your trust in Him, He often opens doors you never expected. This balance between effort and reliance forms the true equilibrium of success.

Applications in Everyday Life

In Academics:

Many students wish to excel but maintain the same equilibrium of distraction, poor time. Improvement only comes when you disturb that state. Introduce new habits such as consistent study hours, better sleep, and goal tracking. Alongside these efforts, make du’a and trust that Allah will bless your hard work. The system of your mind and environment will gradually adjust to support your seriousness.

In Relationships:

Every relationship has its own equilibrium. Sometimes comfort, pride, or poor communication holds people in an unspoken standoff. But when one person makes an intentional effort to change by showing more kindness, forgiving first, or starting honest conversations, the relationship begins to shift toward healing and renewed connection. When that is combined with tawakkul, Allah can soften the hardest of hearts and restore harmony.

In Personal Growth:

Growth requires disturbance. A person who wants to become more disciplined, skilled, or spiritually grounded must introduce new conditions. Wake up earlier, cut off unhealthy influences, or dedicate time to learning. These actions may feel uncomfortable at first, but when combined with sincere trust in Allah, life finds a new equilibrium at a higher level of purpose and productivity.

How Life Adjusts

Challenges will always come such as financial pressure, time constraints, or discouragement but systems naturally respond to pressure by finding a new balance. When you take action with wisdom, persistence, and tawakkul, life gradually rearranges itself in your favor. The people, opportunities, and circumstances around you begin to align with your intention.

To move forward, we must dare to disturb our equilibrium with purpose and rely on Allah to perfect the outcome. Comfort keeps us still, but pressure guided by trust in Him propels us forward.

So the next time you feel stuck, remember this simple truth: change the conditions, put your trust in Allah, and your life will shift the equilibrium.

 “And whoever relies upon Allah, then He is sufficient for him.”

— Qur’an 65:3

by Muhammad O.S