Why must you see every downturn as a punishment? Perhaps, on the contrary, it became time for you to receive greater things from Above.
Only that, like a metal spring, you must first become small before you can unleash your power.
Like an olive, you must allow yourself to be crushed to discover your oil.
Like a seed, you must first come down from your tree and lose yourself within the earth so you can sprout and grow into a mighty oak.
Perhaps all these troubles of yours are G-d's way of helping you along that path, helping you become small.
And if so, the remedy is obvious: Make yourself small on your own and relieve Him of the task.
Truth be told, you can do the job much better on your own—far less painfully and with faster results.
The Rebbe, in a letter to a businessperson.
