Simple Ways To Make Your Home Safer

GONE are the days when one could simply use a padlock and be rest assured their
home and belongings were safe.
Today, state-of-the-art alarms and cameras are required on top of pay costly guard
fees to keep the robbers away from your door. Trying to completely lockdown your
home from such intrusions costs good money but not all of us can afford such
measures.
It is quite a sad situation to think that one needs to spend even more just to keep safe
the items and home we spent so much to obtain in the first place. But until we find the
turn-off switch or cure-all fix to eradicate robbery and theft; were left scratching
our heads as to how to safeguard our property.
So how do we keep the house safe without spending a bomb (for those of us who
cant afford it!)?
While it may not seem like much on the grander scale, there are some simple ways to
keep your house a lot safer, and deter thieves without costing an arm and leg.
Simple things to do around the house
You don't have to spend anything but time for this one. They're simple things you can
do around the house to keep thieves from being interested in breaking in.
1. Keep your curtains closed
Keeping the curtains open, especially when you're away at work, gives the chance for
thieves to inspect what could be valuable within the house; your HDTV, laptop,
camera, etc. If they see something they like, they will target you. So be sure your
valuables aren't in plain sight and if you can't move your TV away, then keep those
curtains closed.
2. Don't leave the boxes of your newly bought gadgets displayed
Here's another risky thing to do. You've got your new HDTV or Samsung Galaxy and
you've finally got it all settled in your home or in the palm of your hand. But there's
still the boxes and stuffing that you still have to deal with, and you're probably
thinking it's all right to leave it out for the garbage man or others who may want to
recycle it.
Leaving such boxes out will only make you a likely target as it shows you can not
only afford these items, you have them and a certain someone may want it too.
3. Remove all signs that show you're not home
You're going to need a neighbour, friend or relative you can trust for this one. Before
you leave, make sure you cancel your subscription during the period you're away. The
person you trust can help handle your mail in case it piles up, as well as those pesky


newsletters. You can also have the person you trust to house-sit for a bit, as this will
then let others believe that the house is still occupied and you never really left.
4. Don't leave your tools available outside
This includes items like ladders, spanners, hammers and many more. This makes it
not only easier for burglars to target your house; they can use these items to break into
it as well. Its like saying; hey break in Ill even provide the tools! So keep all
your tools and your ladders away from easy access outside and keep them locked or
secure within your home instead.
Items you could buy under RM100
There are certain items you can buy that can make your home a little more secure, and
you can definitely fit it into your budget with proper planning. Here are some items
you can consider buying to make your house a little more secure.
1. Buy dummy security cameras
Of course, the better option is to buy actual security cameras and alarms, but
depending on how big your house is and how many cameras that you need, you could
be spending RM200 (especially for DIY systems) or even up to RM1,000 just getting
them installed.
If you don't have the time to save up for that now, or don't think you can ever afford it,
you can buy dummy security cameras instead to fool burglars and make them think
twice about targeting your house. These cost around RM35 and while they can't catch
the possibility of your neighbour stealing your mangoes when they're ripe, it would be
enough to make burglars think twice.
2. Use wooden dowels or metal bars for sliding doors and windows
Sliding door or window locks can be easy to manipulate. So your next best way of
keeping them secure is by placing either a piece of long wood, wooden dowels or
even metal bars in the gap where the sliding door would need to slide to open.
Depending on where you get it, this can cost as low as RM1 or even up to RM5. But
if you have a particularly huge sliding door, you may have to spend a bit more. Just be
sure that it's enough to keep the sliding door secure with no big gaps when opened.
3. Buy light-timers
When you go traveling for a couple of days, most of us would leave the light on day
and night until we return. This makes it easier for your house to be targeted once
thieves take notice that your lights are on during the day.
And leaving it off would be worse as well once night hits. Your best option when it
comes to this is to buy a timer specifically for your lights. The cheapest one you can
find would be around RM30, but it can range right up to RM80.


As an extra tip, you can even use these timers to turn the radio on at different times to
make burglars even more uncertain as to whether someone is home or not.
4. Reinforce your doors
When burglars break into homes, it's common for them to break through the front and
back door to gain access. With that in mind, you can buy Deadbolt Locks for your
doors from around RM24 to RM35, depending on the materials and door thickness.
If you're good at these things you can try installing them yourself, but best to hire
someone who knows how to install the lock on your door. Be sure that the hinges of
the door remain strong and sturdy, for weak ones can be easily broken down with a
good kick.
Wed all love to live in a perfect, safe world where robberies dont happen but
unfortunately, we dont. Whilst there are no guarantees to any of these efforts (heck,
we cant even guarantee your RM2,000 alarm systems will really keep the robbers at
bay) we can always only try to make our lives and homes a little safer.





6 ways to teach yourself empathy

All of a sudden, the word empathy is on the lips of scientists and business leaders,
education experts and political activists. Empathy is not just a way to extend the
boundaries of your moral universe. According to new research, its a habit we can
cultivate to improve the quality of our own lives.
But what is empathy? Its the ability to step into the shoes of another, aiming to
understand their feelings and perspectives, and to use that understanding to guide our
own actions. That makes it different from kindness or pity. And dont confuse it with
the Golden Rule, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. As George
Bernard Shaw pointed out, Do not do unto others as you would that they should do
unto you. Their tastes may not be the same. Empathy is about discovering those
tastes.
The good news is that empathy can be learned. In my new book, Empathy: A
Handbook for Revolution (Random House), Ive honed six key habits that highly
empathic people (HEPs) bring into their daily lives. So what does it take to teach
yourself empathy?

Habit 1:
Switch on your empathic brain
The recent big buzz about empathy stems from a revolutionary shift in how scientists
understand human nature. The old view that we are essentially self-interested
creatures is being nudged firmly to one side by evidence that we are also Homo
empathicus, wired for empathy, social cooperation, and mutual aid.
Over the last decade, neuroscientists have discovered that 98% of us have the ability
to empathise. They have also identified a ten-section empathy circuit in our brains
which, if damaged, can curtail our ability to understand what other people are feeling.
Evolutionary biologists like Frans de Waal have shown that we are social animals
who have naturally evolved to care for each other, just like our primate cousins. And
psychologists have revealed that we are primed for empathy by strong attachment
relationships in the first two years of life.
A good way to start switching on your empathic brain is simply to make a mental note
every time you notice an instance of empathic thinking or action in yourself or others.
Maybe you will spot your boss managing to see someone elses point of view, or
observe empathic cooperation between your children. Think of it as becoming an
empathy detective.

Habit 2:
Make the imaginative leap
Highly empathic people make a concerted effort to imagine themselves in other
peoples situations, like an actor who occupies the personality of their stage character.
Making this imaginative leap can be boosted by empathic listening. What is
essential, says Marshall Rosenberg, psychologist and founder of Non-Violent
Communication (NVC), is our ability to be present to whats really going on within
to the unique feelings and needs a person is experiencing in that very moment.
HEPs listen hard to others and do all they can to grasp their emotional state and needs,
whether it is a friend who has just been diagnosed with cancer or a spouse who is
upset at them for working late yet again.


We all know, instinctively, that empathy is a great tool for maintaining healthy
relationships. Just think of all those times youve been arguing with your partner and
thought, Why cant she understand what Im feeling? What are you asking for?
Empathy of course. You want them to step into your shoes, if only for a moment.
Thats why its worth practising empathic listening in your relationships. Next time
things are getting tense with your partner, focus intently on listening to their feelings
and needs without interrupting (and this might just induce them to return the favour).
You might even ask them to tell you about their feelings and needs. Its amazing how
doing this can prevent a niggling annoyance from turning into resentment or a full-
scale argument. Ultimately, most of us just want to be listened to and understood.

Habit 3:
Seek experiential adventures
So you think ice climbing and hang-gliding are extreme sports? Then you need to try
experiential empathy, the most challenging and potentially rewarding of them all.
HEPs expand their empathy by gaining direct experience of other peoples lives,
putting into practice the Native American proverb, Walk a mile in another mans
moccasins before you criticise him.
The writer George Orwell is an inspiring model. After several years as a colonial
police officer in British Burma in the 1920s, Orwell returned to Britain determined to
discover what life was like for those living on the social margins. So he dressed up as
a tramp with shabby shoes and coat, and lived on the streets of East London with
beggars and vagabonds. The result, recorded in his book Down and Out in Paris and
London, was a radical change in his beliefs, priorities, and relationships. He not only
realised that homeless people are not drunken scoundrels Orwell developed new
friendships, shifted his views on inequality, and gathered some superb literary
material. It was the greatest travel experience of his life. He realised that empathy
doesnt just make you good its good for you, too.
We can each conduct our own experiments. If you are religiously observant, try a
God Swap, attending the services of faiths different from your own, including a
meeting of Humanists. Or if youre an atheist, try attending different churches! Spend
your next holiday volunteering in a village in a developing country.
Next time you are planning a trip, dont ask yourself, Where can I go next? but
instead Whose shoes can I stand in next?

Habit 4:
Practise the craft of conversation
Highly empathic people have an insatiable curiosity about strangers. They will talk to
the person sitting next to them on the bus, having retained that natural inquisitiveness
we all had as children, but which society is so good at beating out of us. They find
other people more interesting than themselves but are not out to interrogate them,
respecting the advice of the oral historian Studs Terkel: Dont be the examiner, be
the interested enquirer.
Curiosity expands our empathy when we talk to people outside our usual social circle,
encountering lives and world views very different from our own. Conversations with
strangers can really help challenge our assumptions about people, so we get beyond
our snap judgments about them based on their appearance or accent. Its also a great
cure for the chronic loneliness that affects one in four Westerners. No wonder
happiness guru Martin Seligman identifies it as a key character strength that can
enhance life satisfaction.


Cultivating curiosity requires more than having a brief chat about the weather. It
involves talking about the stuff that really matters in life, like love, death or politics.
Set yourself the challenge of having a conversation with one stranger every week. All
it requires is courage.

Habit 5:
Travel in your armchair
If all of this is sounding a bit strenuous, you can always throw a little armchair
empathy into the mix. This is about reading books and watching films that catapult
our imaginations into other peoples lives that are vastly different from our own.
Think of a movie like City of God, which reveals the violent world of two boys
growing up in the shantytowns of Rio. Or the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, with its
classic line, You never really understand a person until you consider things from his
point of view until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it. In fact, there
has been an avalanche of recent neuroscience and psychology research showing that
entering other peoples lives through books and films is one of the best ways of
learning to empathise.
It isnt always easy to find the most inspiring and powerful empathy books and films,
which is why alongside my new book Ive just founded the worlds first online
Empathy Library at www.empathylibrary.com. Youll find the very best novels, non-
fiction, kids books, feature films and video shorts all about empathy.

Habit 6:
Inspire a revolution
Empathy isnt just something that happens between individuals. It can also flower on
a mass scale and start shifting the contours of society itself. Many of those who took
part in the Occupy Movement and Arab Spring were motivated by empathy
empathy for those whose lives had been ravaged by the financial crisis, or who had
suffered police brutality. An important way to boost your empathy levels is to join
with others to take action on empathy-related issues that matter to you whether its
child poverty or the fate of future generations whose lives will be affected by our
addiction to high-carbon lifestyles. Even taking part in your local choir or playing
five-a-side football are ways to engage in communal activities that break down the
barriers between people and promote a more empathic world.
Empathy will most likely flower on a collective scale if its seeds are planted in our
children. Thats why HEPs support efforts such as Canadas pioneering Roots of
Empathy, which has benefited over half a million school kids. Its unique curriculum
centres on an infant, whose development children observe over time in order to learn
emotional intelligence and its results include significant declines in playground
bullying and higher levels of academic achievement.
So now youve got some ideas for growing your empathy, let me leave you with a
question. Who in your life do you need to develop more empathy with and how
might you go about doing it?




12 Ways to Jump-Start Your Metabolism

A healthy metabolism ensures the body convert or use energy to maintain all the
working parts of the body. Kick-start your weight loss with these easy-to-follow
tweaks to your daily life.

1. Use interval training to rev up your workout. Walk for the same amount of time
at the same intensity day in and day out and your body will get as bored with your
workout as you do. Throw in some variety with interval training, which involves
changing the intensity of your workout throughout your exercise session. Every 5
minutes of your walk, jog for 1 minute. Every 5 minutes of your bike ride, shift into a
higher gear and pedal hard for a minute. If you swim, speed up every other length.
You'll burn more calories in the same amount of time.
2. Fidget. People who drum their fingers or bounce their knees burn at least 500
calories a day. That adds up to losing 1 lb a week.
3. Keep a small squeeze ball with you and grip and squeeze it frequently during
the day. It's one of the few exercises you can do at any time. You'll build up the
muscles in your hands and muscle, wherever it is, burns a lot of calories.
4. Don't starve yourself. Cutting out too many calories can backfire in more ways
than one. Try to subsist on morsels and your metabolism will slow down so much that
you'll not only stop losing weight, but you'll be lucky if you can peel yourself off the
couch.
5. Put five rubber bands around your wrist every morning. That's how many 16-
ounce bottles of water you should drink during the day to rev up your metabolism,
helping to burn more calories. At least, that's what German researchers found when
they got 14 participants to drink about 500 ml of water. The volunteers' metabolic rate
or how quickly they burned calories jumped a third within 10 minutes of drinking
the water and remained high for another 30 or 40 minutes. The researchers estimated
that, over a year, increasing your water consumption by 1.5 litres a day would burn an
extra 17,400 calories, or about 2.25 kg (5 lb) worth. Since much of the increased
metabolic rate is due to the body's efforts to heat the liquid, make sure the water
you're drinking is icy cold.
6. Turn up the heat with hot peppers. Some studies show that very spicy foods can
temporarily increase your metabolism. Specialist grocers often stock many different
kinds of peppers. Buy one type a week and add some to various meals. Spice up your
scrambled eggs with minced jalapeo, add a little fire to beef stew with half a Scotch
bonnet pepper.
7. Exercise outside. Maybe it's the fresh air, maybe it's the sunshine, but something
about exercising out in the open makes you walk or run faster than doing the same
exercise in the gym.
8. Eat five small meals throughout the day instead of three large meals. You
might think you should eat less often if you want to lose weight, but that's just not the


case. By eating every few hours, you keep your metabolism fired up and ensure it
doesn't slow down between meals in order to hang on to calories. A "meal" can be as
small as a cup of soup.
9. Sip a couple of cups of coffee throughout the day. Studies find that the caffeine
in coffee increases the rate at which your body burns calories. This does not mean,
however, that you should order a fancy calorie-packed frappuccino. And skip the
espresso if it makes you toss and turn at night.
10. Don't worry if you've been yo-yo dieting. There's a myth that if you've spent
your life losing and gaining the same 10 to 20 lb, your metabolism gets out of kilter
and ends up slowing right down. Don't believe it. When researchers reviewed 43
studies on the topic, they found no difference in the metabolic rates of yo-yo dieters
compared to those of everyone else.
11. Walk with intent and intensity. Burn more calories in the same amount of time
with these strategies:
1. Swing your arms when you walk. You'll burn 5 to 10 per cent more calories.
2. Wear a weighted vest another great way to burn calories. But leave the hand and
ankle weights at home. They throw you off balance and could result in injury.
3. Walk on grass, sand or a gravel path instead of the road. It takes more muscle
power to glide smoothly over these uneven surfaces (especially sand) than over
asphalt.
4. Use walking poles. A U.S. study found that you get a much more intense workout
than you would without the poles.
5. Walk along the shore of a river or lake with your ankles in the water. The resistance
burns more calories and gives your muscles an added workout.
12. Increase the protein in your diet. There is some evidence that if you increase
your protein intake to the upper end of the recommended range (roughly 20 per cent
of overall calories), the amount of energy you expend at rest will remain the same
even while you're losing weight. Normally, as you lose weight, your body adjusts and
you burn fewer calories at rest.