It is both a momentous and yet an emotional time for me at this particular juncture of my life as I recap the last one year. It has been a particularly difficult year for me as I’ve had to come to the end of a period of my life and this year has been spent in handing over in stages, various responsibilities and duties to a group of people who are going to carry on the baton in different aspects and in different parts of the group. Yet there is a feeling of innate satisfaction in all of this in knowing that the dream that once was, is now history. A new dream begins, a new vision, one that is virtually in a different paradigm; one that I would have never imagined a decade ago. But the most satisfying part of this year has been in realising and recognising that I have created a team of people who are not just capable and conscientious but compassionate, especially with an equal concern for the same value that I have cherished all these years. I feel confident that this group who have inherited the responsibilities that I have carried for the last ten years will carry on for another ten years at least.

The moments that I hold dear in the last 12 months are V-Malaysia in Penang which was the best ever, the most exciting ever and the most intense ever held. It was literally the V Con of the decade! We had 5000 people from 90 countries, a veritable United Nations, that came together for 5 days not just to celebrate the business but to celebrate each other. It was a manifestation of all our hopes for the future and will be the source of inspiration for all the coming years ahead. Then, we had V Africa, which was a truly inspirational event despite being smaller in that about 1500 people came together but was equally intense and so full of hopes and aspirations and love. What I clearly remember as one of the high points of those heady days in Uganda was when I clasped hands with two highly placed Muslim clerics and a Christian bishop in brotherhood, depicting our common goal of a united mankind.

Then again there were the memories of India. Not always pleasant, yet another challenge amongst our midst reminding us that ours is a world where victory has to be wrought with drive and determination, with clarity of purpose and compassion in our veins, with understanding and a meeting of the hearts. India is still the heartbeat of the Group. We are after all talking about one fifth of the world’s population. Hence, clearly one fifth of our target market. But more so, because our mentor and icon of the Group, Mahatma Gandhi himself hails from this great and wonderful land. We will and we must prevail in this current environment or like all other successful companies we have rivals who will use any ways or means to halt our progress. But fortunately, with the tremendous spirit and strength of our Indian leaders and corporate staff, I am confident that we are above and beyond the depth of this particular crisis. Now begins the long steady and strenuous climb forward. As I said all those years ago, when we set foot on this great continent, we have come to stay.

The next ten years are going to be defined both by our challenges and our victories, each of which will contribute to the greater picture, to the greater vision of who we are. May the Lord continue to lend us His Grace and guide our every step.

I wish you all an exuberant and exciting Christmas and a truly, wonderful New Year 2009, the first year of the new decade.

To rejoice the day the greatest networker that ever lived was born, when you awaken today, know that this is Christmas Morning.

This is a day to remember the Lord and His presence amongst us. Ourbest present to Hm would be to renew our commitment to serve all His children. By reminding ourselves one more time…to live a life that makes a difference…to touch more hearts…to encourage more minds…to inspire more souls. This day…and throughout this year!

Merry Christmas to you all….my family in RYTHM.

May he guide us in our every step!

Here is the second part of the much awaited series on Vijay Eswaran’s Touchstone to surviving the global economic depression.

The dust has settled somewhat and amidst the rubble and ruins, the economic landscape is emerging slowly and gradually out into the open. It is clearly evident that this time around the economic crisis is here to stay for at least most of the coming year, if not more. In terms of the first world, it has been devastating. The damage and the ensuing ramifications will remain far reaching and continue long beyond even the next 12 months. However, here in the third world, it is the next 12 months that are going to decide what the next 12 years will be like. The downturn has had its direct fiscal effects that have already hit the third world as a result of the concentric circles of this first world crisis that have spread out from its apex which has been essentially, the United States.

In so far as the man on the street is concerned however, the question is how does the collapse of companies that he may have only vaguely heard of halfway across the globe in a country that he may never even want to visit, affect him? The reality is, it will, even though it may be only as a subtle result of this first world debacle. It will however slowly but surely permeate the third world economies simply because of this so called global village syndrome. Then again the realities of the first world are not necessarily the realities of the third world. Add to that the fact that over here we have undergone at least two if not three other periods of recession in the last decade, namely the 1997 Asian Economic Crisis followed almost closely by the year of the so called bursting of the internet bubble. To top that one can even add the SARS epidemic crisis in 2003. Having gone through all this, we have come out arguably more resilient and more experienced. What is clearly self-evident is our ability to adapt, adjust and accommodate. And in a nutshell to all those out there, that is the simple yet in depth answer ...the 3 As – Adapt, Adjust, Accommodate.

The first A, which is to adapt is singularly the most important. The first stage of adaptation requires inherent changes in our attitude and expectations. To consciously not recognise that there is a worldwide economic recession and to try therefore to retreat into a cocoon is not only unconscionable but essentially redundant. It is in a fashion almost like the people who did not recognise the withdrawal of the sea as a sign of an oncoming tsunami and continued sunbathing.....!

We have to inevitably accept that it is going to affect us and we need to adapt accordingly by reviewing what we need to spend and how we spend it; by understanding that our sources of income now cannot solely depend on any single particular source; by recognizing that exploring a second, third or even fourth source of revenue is at this stage, supremely important. There are many things one can do if one were to look at the environment around us. Ultimately, people are going to require the same staples, and they are still going to require it at the same quality but at the cheapest possible price point; likewise, with services. There are always products and services that one can individually or in a group bring to the table.

It brings to mind tales that I have heard on my grandfather’s knee of how Malaysians adapted to the Japanese occupation….and adapted rather well. Rice was substituted by yam or barley. Sugar was substituted by other sources, food was grown in the backyard and ultimately we survived. Now, I am not suggesting anything so drastic today, but all of us have inherent abilities to source goods and provide services from the homestead that we have not explored or chosen not to explore.

The second element is to adjust. This in turn, requires us not to just live sparingly or frugally but rather to live economically and even ergonomically. Meaning, one has to realign the household budget and cut our cloth accordingly while respecting the earth and its resources. The fundamental role here is to recognise that the best things in life are free. And to try and incorporate that in a lot of what we do. Going to the mall is not necessarily the only entertainment in life. A homemade picnic by the beach sometimes can be a lot more productive and enjoyable. The point again being that one merely needs to reassess all of these new realities. Where we cannot find jobs, we can create them. It does inherently boil down to our confidence and self esteem. If we believe we can do it, we will. Adjusting is a mental state, more so than any physical requirement, it is more so about reduction of expectation as opposed to sacrifice. It is at the same time, the easiest and yet most difficult thing to achieve because it requires one to shift paradigms. As most of us are resistant to change, this is one obstacle we have to overcome within us.

Accommodation, the last but not least is the most rewarding part. It is where we embrace the changes and challenges that this period will bring. If we can reduce our need for pomposity and thereby realign our self image, we can just about do anything that needs to be done. If we are not going to be so sensitive or averse to what the neighbours would say, then the world becomes literally our oyster, for there is so much to be done. Accommodation requires us to physically move out and anticipate. People in times of need, have different needs, not less needs. There is a story about a real estate agent who basically made his fortune during a recession. When asked how, he said, “I stopped selling the beachside condos and upscale bungalows and focussed on the studio apartments and refurbished urban budget accommodations.”

And that is what this is about. The trick is to realise that even this, will eventually pass away. Adapt, Adjust and Accommodate.

It has been a glorious ten years since this dream; this vision was conceived and acted upon that has subsequently grown into this vibrant conglomerate of companies and a wonderful family that has evolved within the network of entrepreneurs that we have built. In my life it has always been a practice to establish such goals and objectives and meet these objectives and accomplish the goals within the deadlines that were set. It has been further my practice to set subsequent progressive steps onwards from each deadline, even if the objectives were not completely met. Those of you who have had the opportunity to read ‘In the Sphere of Silence’ will understand what all of this is about.

The issue is that change is not only inevitable and necessary but change is also good. Change is progressive. And if one does not change, then one has begun to die. Hence, following this principle which I have advocated and propagated in many forms and modalities over the years, I set goals that were 5 years apart each time. So when I assumed the role of Managing Director on the Sep 8, 1998, I set a goal to my partners and fellow directors that I would vacate this post by Sep 8, 2003. And thus, I did. However, as we had evolved into a new plane that we had not foreseen, or anyone else, it behoved me to undertake the helm of the far larger entity that had evolved from our very first company. Hence, Sep 8, 2003 QuestNet was born and on and in Dec 8, 2003 the QI Group was born and I took on the role of its MD.

Again I set a 5 year goal that ended on Dec 8, 2008 just last week. And true to my word, I am proud to relinquish this position to the likes of my fellow founder and brother, Joseph ‘Japadas’ Bismark.

Let me please reassure anyone out there, who is labouring under the assumption that I am retiring or leaving, or stepping aside even, I say on to him- ‘Banish the thought’. I will only retire; I believe on the day that my spirit leaves this mortal coil. And there is no retirement from life per se. My life is this company and the people within it, as well as those who are with it across the globe. My purpose in raising Japadas Bismark to this post is to bring a fresh wind of change to the new drive and spirit while I refocus my energies to work on a different plateau, one on a more global scale. To raise this vehicle that we have built jointly on, to serve mankind at a higher level that encompasses a far reaching goal.

We began with the concept of raising oneself to help mankind as manifested in our motto RYTHM. Thus, it is all the more important that I apply this in my own life. And that, this is applied within the group of companies as a benchmark for all to follow. I have set the pace of creating this 5 year window whereby one should progressively keep raising oneself.

It is my purpose here to keep change as a continuous heartbeat or rhythm for the group. If one were to look at the rationale behind the naming of the V, it is about a flock a birds flying aerodynamically. The objective being that one could travel faster, and safer in this formation. Part of this requires the lead bird to change at regular intervals allowing each bird to lead. That is nature’s way.

The last 10 years have been great. And perhaps some might say, it could have been better. My answer to them is very simple - There were a thousand companies that opened their doors in the city of Hong Kong on Sep 8, 1998, statistically. 999 of them are not around……. statistically.

That defines our success, so to speak.

In so far as the future is concerned, QI was born in RYTHM and will continue to serve RYTHM. And I continue to serve it. With the single exception of withdrawing from day to day operations, I am still very much involved in the future, in the vision, and in the purpose that this group stands for.

To my staff, who have worked with an incredibly open and willing heart who have continued to serve the concept of RYTHM over the years, I pledge to you my commitment that I will always be part of this company in one form or another. On a more specific note however, I am still retaining a number of functions within the group, particularly investments, which will answer directly to me, Treasury and the Chairman’s office which will house a group of individuals who will be serving the greater policy matters of the company. Naturally, I will continue to hold the position of the Managing Partner of the V. Of equal importance is that I will be holding the Managing Trustee position for RYTHM Foundation and its associate foundations.

On the training side, I will be spending a lot more time and effort on rebuilding GITA and participating more in setting up and reintroducing my modules from 5 years ago, i.e, TAPS. It is my purpose to turn GITA into a full-fledged university and I am going to commit my time and resources into making that possible. On a final note, I am committed to raising the QI group to a global scale, not just as a group of companies but as a specialised entity per se…. an iconic brand name that should translate into a way of life.

Here is where, I would like to remind all, of the anecdote that gave birth to the concept of RYTHM

This anecdote was told to me when I was still a university student. And it’s one that has been attributed to Mahatma Gandhi. Apparently an individual approached the Mahatma and said to him, “Bapuji (as he was lovingly called), I wish to serve you. I wish to dedicate my life in service to your mission. Please accept me.”

To which Bapu supposedly said, ‘what do you have to offer?’
The man replied, “I am unemployed and penniless.”
To which Bapu’s answer was – Are u educated or do u have a skill?
The man says, “I have none, Bapu.”
And Bapu then literally snapped at him – “Go out, raise yourself, and then come back. And we can talk about serving Mankind.”

This story has always remained at the back of my mind though the decades after school wherein I had worked across many industries and many companies, on to the time that I had started with my other founding directors, this company. Hence, it was easy for me to recall the story and coin the term RYTHM out of these final words of the Mahatma.

RYTHM as a concept has taken on a life of its own. And I will in my own way try to emulate the life of the Mahatma by trying to serve very humbly this concept just as he did to his last breath.