Tag Archives: joseph bismark

Human Life Begins… When?

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There are four propensities of life… eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. But is that all there is to life? And if so, how are we, as human beings, any different from animals?

Humans have mastered these four propensities. We have an endless menu of gourmet cuisine and all manners in which to cook it so that our food not only gives us sustenance, but a sensation of incredible tastes. When it comes to sleeping, we have perfected the art of getting a good night’s rest, with ergonomic beds, neck-support pillows, and cosy blankets. And it is frightening just how well we have enhanced the act of mating, and how much we have sharpened our ability to defend ourselves.

The question human beings should be asking, is whether this really is the goal of life? Just to eat, sleep, mate and defend. If this is the goal of a life of a human being, then you can argue that it would be better to be an animal. For example, if the goal of life was to sleep, wouldn’t you rather be a crocodile? I heard that a crocodile could sleep for 20 hours a day! If sex was to be the goal, then why not prefer to be a pigeon? A pigeon could have sex 100 times a day, without caring for the offspring or being in a relationship. If eating was the main focus of life, then who wouldn’t want to be a pig, who can eat anything and everything all day long? My point is, humans are equipped with so much more potential to fulfil more than any of these propensities. That is how we are different from animals. If we focus our lives around this sense gratification, surely we’re missing the point of life. We must awaken ourselves from our slumber. There must be a higher purpose.

Human life begins when one starts questioning, “What am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose? What is my relationship with this world I live in? What is my responsibility to the environment? Who am I?…” The questioning and the learning are endless.

We have the ability to act independently; we have free will. We have a higher intelligence. We have the ability to question. We can philosophise. We can actually ponder what happens after death. A life of a human being is a life of responsibility and consequences; a life of questioning and seeking answers.

Yes, we have perfected the four propensities, the basic needs of life, but it is not what makes us human. We’re missing the purpose and potential of human life if we care only for eating, sleeping, mating and eating.

Please take a moment to ponder… don’t wither away a life of great potential, questioning and learning. Strive to understand the world around you. Don’t allow yourself to be satisfied with a life similar to that of an animal, because you simply won’t be doing justice to the incredible gift we’ve all been given… life as a human being on this planet.

Yours Sincerely,

 

Joseph T. Bismark
Group Managing Director, QI Ltd

Thinking Long-Term During Our Anniversary Month

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It was 1998. The so-called ‘dot-com bubble’ that had enveloped the world was deflating at a rapid rate. The Asian economy was falling in a manner not so different from the global economic climate of today. But we started a company anyway. And if I knew then about all the ups and downs that were to follow, I am not so sure I would have signed up for the ride.

Eleven years later, I know that I am glad that I did. But I have to tell you, in these years, I’ve never before experienced such successes, such challenges, such hardships, and such happiness. It has been the proverbial and clichéd rollercoaster. As I said, had I known what the future was to hold back in 1998, I don’t think I would have embarked on such a ride.

I guess that when you dive into something and are so passionate about it, it is a true blessing that God doesn’t show us what lies ahead. A farmer could not experience a harvest if he did not first go through the preparation of land and the hardship of the sow, the labour and toil, all without being guaranteed a successful crop. He must have faith that the seeds he plants will grow, that the rain will come at the right time, and so many other unpredictable considerations. Then, and only then, may he reap the harvest and enjoy the fruits of his labour. The best thing we can do is to propose and let God dispose. And that is exactly what we did when sowing the seeds of this company.

Back then, I really wasn’t sure we were going to make it. There were many detractors who shared the same thought. They said we wouldn’t last a week. So when we did survive the first week, we celebrated. We celebrated our second-week anniversary as well. Now our detractors said we wouldn’t last three months. So, we celebrated again on our three-month anniversary. Then it became a year. And then three years, and then we celebrated our fifth year and we were still growing. Last year, our tenth anniversary celebrations traversed the globe and to see the impact this company and our mission of RYTHM has had on the people of the world – from Asia to the Middle East to Africa and beyond – made me again thankful that the future is a mystery until it becomes a past to reflect and build upon.

We held our official 11th anniversary celebrations in Hong Kong on the 8th September 2009, but it is the whole month of September that for me is a month of reflection and introspection. It is not time to boast what we’ve achieved, but to contemplate from where we’ve come and to where we shall go.

Consider this. How do people think? A beggar thinks from meal to meal. An employee thinks from month to month with the arrival of their monthly salary. A boss may think from year to year. But a King would think for a decade. And an Emperor thinks for a century. When you see how different people think, you’ll see how they got there. And you’ll see where they’re going. The question today is, ‘do we want to think the way we think today?’ No matter what position you hold within this company, take ownership of it. It is your ‘rice bowl’. Fight for it. Protect it. Fill it up. Take ownership of what you do without the title or the extra salary. It is once you take ownership, and what you achieve through this, that the title and the rest of the perks will follow. The farmer cannot demand the harvest before he ploughs the land. Are you going to think from day to day? Or are you going to think long-term?

This whole month is a time for reflection on our lives, our career, our company. QI is our mother company and it is feeding all of us. Everyone in QI is a part of combined excellence. Every anniversary is a time for us to be grateful. This Gem is my heartfelt appreciation to the founders of the company, the directors, the chiefs, the managing directors, the hundreds of fantastic staff we have, and our extended family of IRs who are out there building on our behalf. This is a chance to thank everyone for thinking long-term and for strapping into this rollercoaster with us. Thank you for toiling and working to bring the company to harvest. Thank you for taking ownership of your rice bowl. It is the people doing all this throughout every rank of the company that makes me stronger, and makes the company stronger. Happy 11th Anniversary to every person, past and present, of the QI family.

 

Sincerely,

Joseph Bismark

 

Group Managing Director, QI Ltd

The Fundamentals of Networking – Maintain A Prospecting Mindset

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As part of this Fundamentals of Networking series, I would like to take the opportunity in this Gem to speak a bit more about the stage of Prospecting, before we move onto Inviting. This is because developing and maintaining the ‘Prospecting Mindset’ is so essential and so integral to being a networker.

I mentioned in my previous Gem that networkers should never stop adding to their prospect list. To do this, you must have the right mindset. There is a saying in the network marketing business: ‘If it breathes, it is a prospect.’

The basic rule in prospecting is that you are networking no matter where you are or what you are doing. This doesn’t mean becoming annoying and invasive and continually approaching people about the business, even after they’ve said no. It simply means being friendly. It means speaking to people standing behind you in the queue at the supermarket. It means striking up a conversation with someone sitting next to you on the bus. Get to know the person around you in everyday situations to the point where you could perhaps ask them what they do for a living, or to the point where you could exchange business cards. You can then call them later and invite them to a presentation. It is about talking to people. The more people you talk to, the more opportunity opens up to you. The less you talk, the less you meet. Even if someone you approach says no, you have not lost; you have practised your communication skills, built your confidence in approaching prospects, developed your people skills, and you may have met a new friend or perhaps made a new contact, such as a mechanic, whom you may need to call upon later in life when you have car trouble.

Being a networker means that there is a probing thought constantly playing in the back of one’s mind: ‘Could this person be interested in the business?’ If this question is always on your mind, then you will become more alert to people who would be genuinely interested. It is like switching on your antenna. Think about this… have you ever wanted a new car? And then somehow everywhere you looked, you see that same model of car that you wanted, but no one else really notices it? This is because you are subconsciously thinking of the new car you want and in essence, your antenna is tuned into that car. So, you take notice when you see it. The same applies with networking and prospecting. If you’re not looking, you won’t see. If you are a networker, prospecting becomes part of you.

The definition of prospecting is to identify potential people to join your business. So, this is what you should be doing – all the time. If you are a real estate agent, you will always be on the lookout for good development opportunities and every time you walk into a friend’s house, you will probably mentally appraise the house’s market value. The same applies with almost any profession. In any business, you are always ‘noticing’ and on the lookout for the subject of your profession. In networking, the subject of your profession is everywhere. The subject of your profession is people. This prospecting mindset and your list of prospects are the core principles of being a good networker.

Sincerely,

Joseph Bismark

Group Managing Director, QI Ltd

 

 

The Fundamentals of Networking – Develop The List

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As part of the Fundamentals of Networking series in these Gems of Wisdom, I have already spoken about the importance of doing your homework before you begin the actual business. One thing to mention is that this first step as a networker is never over. You must always be learning, staying informed, and improving yourself.

Once you are ready to begin the business, it is time to make ‘The List’. This list will quite possibly be your most treasured asset you will ever own as a network marketer. The list is the first part of the ‘Prospecting’ process.

The List is your prospect list.  Sit down and think of absolutely, positively, every single person you can think of, from your family and friends, to your doctor and local shop attendant. Your first lesson here is that everyone – yes, everyone – is a prospect; someone who may be interested in joining your business. So start to write down all of these names. You should be able to come up with at least 100 names. Don’t let that figure scare you. I was speaking on this topic at a seminar once, and I gave everyone in the audience 30 minutes to write down 100 names. One old lady said that there was no way she could think of 100 people to write down on her list. Everyone in the audience was empathic with this lady because they were having a hard time as well. So what did I do? I offered her $100 for every name she wrote down. And what did she do? She wrote down more than 100 names. Why could she suddenly think of so many names? She had started putting a value on each name. This is the mindset of prospecting.

Once you have your list – and I should mention that you should never stop adding to your prospect list – you can then start identifying categories. Start with two categories – all the people whom you think would be easy to approach, such as your family and friends, and the people whom you feel may be more difficult to invite into the business, such as your doctor or someone you don’t know very well. It is the latter group, the difficult group, which you should approach first. These are the ones who you think will have all sorts of excuses, concerns and reasons why they don’t have time for the business or why they’re not interested. You should approach this difficult category first because it gives you a chance to sharpen your inviting skills. This is where your homework comes in, as it will give you confidence, information and resources to tackle difficult questions. But we will speak more about the art of Inviting in a later Gem.

Sincerely,

Joseph Bismark

 

Group Managing Director, QI Ltd

The Fundamentals of Networking – Do Your Homework

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Many of my readers of Gems are networkers. It is the life we live and breathe. So, I think it appropriate to spend some time talking about the principles of networking. I want to go back to basics and discuss what makes us successful in the beginning of this business. Self-development and character building is important, but in the business of network marketing, you also need to have the skills of a networker. I mean, just because someone is a good person doesn’t make them a good driver of a car. The same applies to networking.

In the next few Gems, I would like to address three basic areas of networking: Prospecting, Inviting, and Presenting. But before we get into any of that, you need to do your homework first.

I think of a network marketing company as a cake with many pieces. If I don’t like one of the pieces, I would not join that particular company.  These ‘pieces of cake’ include considerations such the wider direct selling industry, the company’s background, the network, the corporate management, the compensation plan, and the products.

Make sure you know about the industry, and the difference between pyramiding and legitimate networking. Make sure you know the company you will represent. A good network marketing or direct selling company must have a good, strong sales force or marketing team in terms of the actual network, and the corporate management must be intact and effective. There needs to be that balance. Also, immerse yourself in the compensation plan to ensure it is structured for longevity. If a company has no limits to its payouts, then you know the company won’t last.

Be sure you actually try the products. If you are promoting the products of a company, it is hypocritical and ineffective to promote something you have never used, or a product that you don’t even like. Another consideration is to find out what type of training and support the company offers. This is an important factor in your growth as a networker.

Before you even think about your prospect list or earning potential, make sure you have done this basic background research and that you have taken the time to understand the industry, the company, the compensation plan, and the products. As your life as a networker develops, you will be very thankful that you did.

 

Sincerely,

Joseph Bismark

 

Group Managing Director, QI Ltd

Food For Thought

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When I was a young child, my parents found it extremely difficult to get me to eat anything that even remotely resembled a vegetable. I loved hot dogs and hamburgers and junk food, like most young children. I didn’t like carrots, and really disliked broccoli. Then, when I was nine years old, I was taken on a tour of a slaughterhouse in the Philippines. I was shocked to see a half-dead cow being hung from the rafters by a big hook, slowly bleeding to death, being kept alive as long as possible so as to keep the meat fresher for longer. I was sickened by the suffering of this animal. At nine years of age, all I could think was, “Is this what animals go through, just so I can eat them?” The reality I saw in the slaughterhouse didn’t match the hamburger commercials I’d seen on TV, where cows were happy and chickens danced around huge farms.

At such a young age, I didn’t know there was such a thing as a vegetarian. I certainly didn’t know there was a whole philosophy behind vegetarianism. But instinctively, I just felt it was wrong to take another life so I could eat. I had never before made the connection between live animals and the meat on my dinner plate. My young mind thought that if there was an alternative to killing the animals I saw in the slaughterhouse, then I would rather take that alternative. I haven’t eaten meat since then.

Being a vegetarian is a matter of choice. And there are many reasons behind why people make the choice to become vegetarian. Of course, some of these reasons are health-related. A properly balanced vegetarian diet is healthy and beneficial to the human body. Also, scientifically, the physical make-up of humans is not designed to be carnivorous. If you look at the anatomy and function of herbivores in the animal kingdom, their intestines are very long, like humans, meaning they’re not able to fully digest meat, which rots very fast in the intestines. Vegetarian animals, like cows, water buffalo and giraffes, don’t have canine teeth that are designed to rip through meat. Instead, they have flat, grinding teeth, much like that of humans, which are perfect for eating plants and vegetables. What’s more, our saliva contains a specific enzyme that has the sole purpose of digesting complex carbohydrates found in plant foods. This enzyme is not found in the saliva of carnivores. Interesting, isn’t it? We’re just not designed to eat meat.

Not only are we not designed to eat meat, but instinctively, we are not meant to either. I remember an experiment where a toddler was placed in a cot with an apple and a rabbit. The toddler ate the apple and played with the rabbit. But when a small tiger cub was placed in the cot with an apple and a rabbit, the tiger ate the rabbit and played with the apple! The meat industry and commercialisation has made it so easy for humans to eat meat, by removing from sight and mind the connection between live animals and meat we eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Our natural instincts have been diminished.

Albert Einstein once said, “Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” This quote is perhaps even wiser than the man who said it.

There are more than six billion people in this world, and according to the UN, if everyone adopted a vegetarian diet, not one of those people would need to worry about going hungry. Plus, the meat industry is one of the biggest contributors to global warming, deforestation, and water consumption; consider the hundreds of thousands of litres of water needed to rear livestock and produce meat products, the many hectares of trees that are being cut down so that cattle can graze, and the sheer magnitude of methane produced by cattle. More than any human activity, these things are slowly chipping away at the ability of the Earth to sustain life.

The QI Group is a vegetarian company, but that does not mean we try to force our employees or anyone else to be vegetarian. Everyone has a choice. As Group Managing Director of QI, the Board of Directors and I agree that the health, ethical, and environmental advantages of practicing vegetarianism is worth promoting and embodying. It is our company statement that all life is sacred.

Please take a moment to ponder… Vegetarianism is a choice we make for our own good, as well as the greater good. It is a choice we make after realising the bleakness of the consequences of the alternative. But it is a choice. And we must decide, sooner or later, what choice we are going to make.

 

Sincerely,

Joseph Bismark

 

Group Managing Director, QI Ltd

 

 

To Be Like the Bee

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There are many lessons we can learn just by looking around us… from the most seemingly insignificant occurrences in nature to the most obvious of human behaviour.

Take, for example, the predispositions of the humble bumble bee and the common fly. Think about where you normally see these creatures. You will find the bee merrily buzzing around the sweet nectar of flowers. The fly, on the other hand, is drawn to the filthy places of rubbish bins and waste. The same can be seen in people. Some people choose to surround themselves with good by seeing the positive things in others and in the world around them. They recognise there is negativity and evil, but they choose to focus on what is good and right. They do not gossip about the badness of others. They do not finger point and bring people down. These people are ‘bee-like’. Then there are the ‘fly-like’ people. Attracted to the dark side of things, these people choose to see the negative and they draw the attention of other people towards the ills of something. They point out people’s flaws to third parties and they have no interest in helping the person they are talking about.

This is not to say that we must be blind to others’ faults. But if you are to draw attention to these faults, you should do so to the person concerned, and only with the motive of helping that person to improve. It is not for you to speak about that person’s flaws with other people, as this is non-constructive and serves no purpose other than the spread of malicious rumour that will not help the person involved.

Please take a moment to ponder… do not focus on the imperfections of others. We are imperfect ourselves. Before we correct others, let us first correct ourselves. We should be humble in what we see and do. We should be bee-like, and should avoid the trappings of viewing the world through the eyes of the garbage-seeking fly.

Sincerely,

Joseph Bismark

Group Managing Director, QI Ltd

A Threatened Leader Cannot Lead

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Many leaders feel worried and threatened when the people they are leading start to become independent, or start to excel. I am curious why this is. Does that not mean that they have been a good leader? The fact that the people they are leading are growing and developing is surely a good thing. Why is it that sometimes leaders feel that they must always be the ones in the spotlight?

Thinking of this made me happily recall one of my favourite verses. It is a verse that I think we can all learn from in order to better ourselves and others. Let me share parts of this verse with you.

One should think oneself lower than the straw on the street…

In many places of the world, you see bits of straw all over the street, such as in India or the Philippines. This straw is being walked on and cars are driving over it. It is flattened to the ground. Now I ask you – what could be lower than this straw on the street? And in that consciousness of feeling lower than the straw on the street, who could ever offend you? No one could put you down, as you are already lowly and humble on your own accord. Some people think being humble means allowing people to step on you and exploit you, but being humble is never that. It is a state of consciousness where you always walk on criticism and in that state, how could you even be angry? It is so fulfilling to be at this state of consciousness, where you feel at peace because you are not trying to climb on top of other people. And in this type of consciousness, you could be a king or be in high positions, but this is the consciousness you must have in order to lead people. You must think of yourself as lower than the straw in the street.

One should be more tolerant than a tree…

How could you be more tolerant than a tree? A tree is so tolerant. You can cut off its branches, it stands forever under the hot sun or torrent rains, sways with the strong winds, has ants crawl all over it… and yet it still stands, tolerant and accepting of what is going on around it. Now, this verse says we should be even more tolerant than that tree. If you are a tree – in terms of patience, endurance, fairness, and temperament –  then who could move you? You could not be pulled over. It is a great virtue to withstand any onslaught of challenges and not be swayed by the winds of emotions. This doesn’t mean you don’t feel it and that you’re numb to it. It just means you are steadfast and you have belief in what you stand for.

One should be devoid of all sense of false prestige.

False prestige is thinking, “I’m a powerful lawyer” or “I’m a successful businessperson”. We always think we have to be somebody for others to love us. We strive so much to have it all – material possessions, driving a certain type of car, having the right image, and so forth. But with this comes a whole lot of anxiety. How could there be peace and how could you be at peace if you are worried about all these things? This sense of false prestige just gets in the way. There is no criticism about the duties and titles that you have been given. Your job may be very important and you may have worked hard to get there. But that doesn’t give you a licence to be arrogant. It does not mean you can demand respect from others. But no matter what you do or who you think you are, you should always be giving your respect to others. A leader cannot lead if he is blinded by his own sense of false prestige.

Please take a moment to ponder… If you want to be a good leader, should you feel threatened if those you are leading start to succeed? If you want to be a good leader, shouldn’t you rather place yourself beneath those you lead, be tolerant and steadfast, and undress yourself of all false prestige? Ponder on this. I thought of this verse as being a guide for someone who wants to be not only a good leader, but who wants to be happy and at peace.

 

Sincerely,

Joseph Bismark

 

Group Managing Director, QI Ltd

 

 

The Perfect Doctor

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Last week, I shared with you the secret of real wealth: good health. This week, I would like to continue this theme. I am certainly not a doctor, but I do believe that our own good health is our own responsibility.

We are each blessed with a body that has been designed to care for itself, as long as we are there to help it. The body is the perfect doctor: The body will cure itself, but we just need to learn how to not block the process. Moreover, with so many other drugs and medicines that are introduced into our body’s system, the body loses its memory on how to protect itself. The body will always send us a signal when something is wrong. But often, we don’t pay attention or don’t recognise the signal at all.

I would encourage everyone to learn about their body and learn how to give your body the best environment in which to do its job of protecting and healing itself. I am not saying there is no need for doctors – there is – but we can make the doctors’ jobs a whole lot easier if we pay a little more attention to what our body is saying and why it’s saying it.

Things like short-term fasting, flushing, cold press, dry brushing, massages – all these things help to ensure our body is free from toxins, and clears the way for the body to get on with performing all the vital functions it was designed for. Eating well, exercising, getting enough sleep, managing your stress levels, staying away from alcohol and cigarettes, maintaining a vegetarian diet – these are all things that we have perfect control over and can pave the way for a body that is allowed to do what it was created to do – live.

Please take a moment to ponder… our body is designed to protect us. Don’t get in the way of that.

Sincerely,

Joseph Bismark

Group Managing Director, QI Ltd

The Truth of Loyalty

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During one of my speaking engagements with the business network, someone asked me, “Are you loyal to Vijay (Eswaran)?” And to that I answered, “No.”

Yes, it surprised everyone and I know it will surprise those of you who are well acquainted with the longstanding partnership I have with Vijay.

I explained: “My loyalty is to truth. Because Vijay upholds the truth, then it follows that my loyalty is with him.”

This is where I would like to take a stand on what I see as true and false loyalty.

One of the most common misconceptions people have when it comes to faithfulness or devotion is that they think loyalty is to a person. This is not right. Loyalty should not be based on personality; otherwise, it could turn into a ‘personality cult’. A personality cult is defined as excessive public admiration for a charismatic person (usually someone famous like an actor, politician, or perhaps sportsperson). Don’t think you are following righteousness or truth when the merits of the person you adulate are not proven.

A leader must be followed not because he is famous, but because he is a follower of the truth. We have seen some people get out-of-hand with eulogising or worshipping people who are no longer on the right path and who start making their own rules for their own vested interests. A classic example of this is the cult following of evangelist preacher Jim Jones who was preaching in the name of Christ in a small community he founded called Jonestown in Guyana, USA. Power began to corrupt him and after allegations of human rights abuse were beginning to be investigated against him, Jones led his followers – about 900 plus – to mass suicide. The extent of this action now constitutes one of the greatest single losses of American civilian life in a non-natural disaster.

There are other disturbing similarities with our present day leaders. Let us not have this blind allegiance to cult personalities. Loyalty must be to broad principles; to universal truth that applies to all and not to a particular sect, religion or group; to basic truth such as refraining from lying, killing, or exploiting. You should be on a constant guard with your leaders, no matter who he or she is. And because we are not perfect and we make mistakes when we are on the wrong path, we must have the willingness to be corrected.

Please take a moment to ponder… The only influence people are open to having is the truth. The truth is always logical, and anyone who follows the truth is consistent. This is the power of the truth.

Sincerely,
Joseph Bismark
Group Managing Director, QI Ltd