The Letter

He never expected a letter especially from someone who was dead. He looked eerily at the name and address and saw it was from his old boss who died of a hemorrhagic stroke 1 year ago. It had been sent to his former address; the postmark was 1 month before his boss died. He had a queesy feeling as he opened the letter-not knowing what to expect. What he read would change his life forever. His boss said:

Dear Jim,

I know performance reviews are very limited in perception and constructive advice, so I am taking this opportunity to tell you what I have learned in my 40 year career in busines:

1. Never back down in an argument. I've had enough bad things happen to me in my life that I refuse to back down-ever.

2. Animals (especially dogs) are much nicer than people. They exhibit unrequited love. They don't make bad mistakes and break your heart like some people do. They don't delight in putting people down, like some smug pieces of shit I've had the misfortune to know.

3. Be persistent-this has always been my motto and has served me well in rising up the corporate ladder.

4. Know how to play the game. Many people don't.

5. Trust no one, except maybe one really close friend (who has your back).

6. Always follow the "3 C's"- be Cool, Calm and Credible. If you don't, you'll have problems.

7. The good thing about advice is you don't have to take it. If I listened to an alleged expert 10 years, I would not have the 3 promotions I earned.

You're a good guy, but you need to develop a really thich skin and 40 pound testicles. If I didn't think you could, I wouldn't bother writing you.

Be successful- it's like golf- it's all in your mind.

Best regards,

Byron.