These 3 things changed my life forever; the 1st relates to business, the 2nd to self, and the 3rd to family.

Click the link above for details.

Yep, and click the link above for details as well.

You guessed it. You know what to do.

Click the links above to access the content for each section. Let me know what you think by posting comments below. I hope you enjoyed this series as much as I enjoyed writing it. Happy new year! 2011 will be awesome, trust me.

But back to the story. Seriously. Jeita Caves (also known as Jeita Grotto) is an 8th world wonder. Mammoth and mini calcium formations of every color, shape, and size surround you as you walk through the silent mysterious caves that hide well-kept secrets of the past…humbly kept in their bosoms. This is Earth speaking in all its’ wonder and infinite natural power.

When I was surrounded by this miraculous structure, all I could think about is how loud, annoying, and tyrannical mankind is compared to a peaceful, silent, and forgiving Earth. Maybe nature was trying to teach us something?

So the water drops taught me a lesson. The one incredible thing that inspired me from the cave’s silently active demeanor was how a small effort over time can be multiplied infinitesimally into a large yield with patience and persistence. No matter how small you are, you can make a big difference. That’s how these caves were formed after all: trillions of consistent mineralized water drops forming at the bottom of stalactites.

My takeaway: “The next time you feel like nothing better than a meek calcium deposit, put your head to the grind and never give up…”

What really gave me a rush was looking down through the cave abyss and seeing that there were actually layers and layers of caves underneath the surface we saw. Whoa to what lives beneath – how small man’s wee-wee is compared to that of nature’s!

Jeita Grotto is located at Qornet El Hamra near Beirut, Lebanon.

View location in Google Maps

Go visit this natural wonder…the BBC-featured, one and only: Jeita Caves. [Insert Reading Rainbow theme song here.] If you’ve been there already, tell me what you think of it.

Now here are 10 things backpacking taught me:

#1 Live a compact life to be flexible to change and opportunities. It also helps you keep a clean head and rid yourself of futile worldliness.

#2 Be yourself: You shouldn’t worry about being different. You are beautiful within. Really, you are! People love it when you are yourself.

#3 Don’t be scared to experiment: Explore! Yes, go for the uncharted territory. The world is full of beautiful wonders and you have nothing to lose.

#4 Humanity is all basically the same: People all over the world have the same base tendencies. No matter what language and what color, we’re all the same. God put us on earth as one family.

#5 Don’t plan too far ahead: Just don’t trouble yourself. Plans always change and you should be ready for that moment with good humor because it will happen.

#6 Life needs a companion: It was beautiful being married and having a true friend accompany me. For survival and for love, you need another person with you at all times at best.

#7 Be safe: Yes, do take emergency supplies and survival gear. You never know when you will need it, so don’t skimp on it. Be adventurous and skimp but not on the wrong things!

#8 One dollar goes a long way: Be thankful. I never knew how poor people live. In the US, people are very spoiled. I am a bit more thankful for everything now.

#9 Muslims are everywhere: It’s a great passport to have, a Muslim identity. You are greeted and treated with respect all over the world, except in the US or Europe.

#10 Work is optional: Getting a job and keeping a stable job is not the most important thing in the world. One of our jobs is to make sure we are happy on the inside and spiritually whole. Attend to yourself and take time off to do what you want to do. Work can wait!

The monks here remind me of the tenets of Islam that preach simplicity, humility, and living every day as if it were our last. Traveling is like death because you take barely anything with you when you move on.

Later in the day. On a motorbike on the bumpiest and curviest road straight out of hell with a beautiful view of heaven right outside the window. Just barely swerved past a cow on the road. OK, I’ll write later when it’s less life threatening!

It is cartoons, abstract art, and surrealist art that boosts my thinking and squeeze my creative juices to the max. It also happens when I witness psychedelic art from the 60s or if I look at the stars, planets, or think about sci-fi lifeforms that may exist in outer space. These abstract art forms (think funky screensavers here) let my mind soar beyond the (t)reason of worldly constraint. When experiencing such pieces of art, for a moment I feel like I am gravitating upwards; in those very moments I have clarity and superhero vision! It’s a transcending inspiration of the soul. I see what’s right and what should be. It helps me get out of this world and focus on my inner best intentions.

For me, it’s important to keep my mind active and critical of visually splendid things. It stimulates my senses and keeps my brain jogging full speed. It can even be small math puzzles, like Mad Minute. So when I wake up I tell myself this every day: “Think, count, process, and dream a world of your own rules, Basim! Don’t let yourself accept without appreciating the world around you for exactly what it is.”

Sometimes I have to get away from the hustle and bustle of public life and go to a place where I can meditate to my own tune. Nobody seems to understand this, and it annoys me. They think I’m depressed or something’s wrong. I have to do this because of the influx of data processing happening in my brain – complex multi-threading in my head creates massive overheat and I have to get away to keep the supercomputer intel inside in sound function and repair. We must get back to square 1, numero uno, the unit self. This is the craziest post I have ever written. If I read it again, it will probably not make sense but it felt great writing it.