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TRY THIS:
When you're about to be fired, demoted, or shifted to a less prestigious job, smile and thank G-d for making clear what He knows is best for you.

WHY IT HELPS:
First a question: With the infinite number of things a person can do throughout the day, throughout his life, who is to say when the exact moment is to buy a new iPod, or read a great book, give blood, or call your parents, etc.?

Answer: We can't know. But, when something abrupt and major changes your life, know ultra-clearly G-d did it, and it is for your eventual benefit. Our sages tell us G-d doesn't send disruptions unless they are needed to put us back on track, or lead us to new opportunities.

Well known in Jewish history are the holy Rabbi Akiva, and his teacher Nachum Ish Gamzu. Rabbi Akiva lived by the axiom "Everything that G-d does is for the good." Nachum Ish Gamzu said a similar phrase when faced with adversity, "This is also for the good."

On their high spiritual level they were sharply aware every life event is sent to us by G-d, for us to live through, grow from, and emerge having strengthened our relationship with G-d, Who sent them to begin with. Even when confronted with great hardship, they witnessed how worrisome circumstances had a positive outcome.

And, if we would know what positive results would come from our life's challenges, we would also think it worth enduring difficult experiences for the sake of eventual benefits.

Alas, we don't have G-d's wisdom, but by living our lives with the unfaltering conviction that G-d can certainly structure our lives better than we can, we develop our relationship with the Maker of our reality.

DEEPER MEANINGS:
In sacred Jewish writings G-d is called "the makom". This mean "the place" in Hebrew. G-d is the place where this world, and in fact, all of creation exists.

This goes against the common understanding that G-d is in heaven (only) and operates from "up there". He is certainly up there. But He is also right here with you now, in every moment creating the existence you see.

G-d created the world back then in bible days, and the creative pulse (let's call it "will") continues as an ongoing act in every moment and micro-moment. G-d is both the creative will that sustains the world AND the "stuff" of this world. It boggles the mind.

So, in creating you, G-d knows all about you. In creating your mind, G-d knows what's on your mind. Right now.

In the sefer Derech Hashem is discussed G-d's providence and structuring of this world's events and each individual's life-long experiences.

The author, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato (The Ramchal) explains that while an individual may have life events happen to him as ends in themselves, such events can also be a means to ultimately achieve some other end completely.

Regarding such situations, the prophet Isaiah (12:1) said "I will thank You, G-d, though You showed me anger." Our sages say this refers to a certain man who had set out on a journey and whose cow had broken its foot and fell. While caring for his animal, the man found a treasure buried at that spot.

G-d's hidden providence also applies to a case where one escapes a calamity as a result of an event that may have initally been considered an inconvenience. The example given is that of a person who wanted to go on an ocean voyage, but was delayed for some reason and missed his ship. The ship then sank, but as a result of this inconvenience his life was saved.

We can't understand all the fine details that go in to making our lives. But we have complete faith that G-d does understand, and structures our lives to produce the maximum growth possible for us and our nation.

Paraphrased from Derech Hashem, Discourse on Individual Providence, 2:3:11-12