The following handwritten letter was written by President George H. W. Bush to former IBM CEO Sam Palmisano, in December 2009.

Palmisano said, “It says all anyone needs to know about his values.”

Here is the text of the letter:

I cannot single out the one greatest challenge in my life. I have had a lot of challenges and my advice to young people might be as follows

Don’t get down when your life takes a bad turn. Out of adversity comes challenge and often success

Don’t blame others for your setbacks

When things go well, always give credit to others

Don’t talk all the time. Listen to your friends and mentors and learn from them

Don’t brag about yourself. Let others point out your virtues, your strong points.

Give someone else a hand. When a friend is hurting show that friend you care

Nobody likes an overbearing big shot

As you succeed, be kind to people. Thank those who help you along the way

Don’t be afraid to shed a tear when your heart is broken because a friend is hurting.

Say your prayers!!

George Bush