As you know, Fidel Castro ruled Cuba from 1959 to 2008 with an iron fist.
But aside from being a horrible tyrant, Castro was infatuated with dairy products – specifically, ice cream.
Fidel was known to consume large amounts of ice cream, and according to one witness, he once ate over 20 scoops of ice cream after a meal.
Because of his obsession, Castro tried to develop a Cuban dairy industry, which failed terribly in the long term.
In fact, during the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba, Fidel bought ice cream from Canada and had over 30 ice cream containers shipped to him.
Now, everyone knew Fidel loved ice cream treats, and every lunchtime, he would enjoy ice cream at the Havana Libre Hotel.
So, in 1961, the CIA used this knowledge to try to kill him, by devising a plan to poison his ice cream.
The CIA deputy director paid $150,000 to two mobsters – the heads of the Chicago and Tampa crime families – to kill Castro.
The two mobsters were given a pill of botulinum toxin from the CIA.
And the plan was to give the pill to a waiter who would put the pill in Fidel’s chocolate ice cream shake.
But the plan failed because the botulinum pill froze to the side of the restaurant freezer and broke apart.
And even though the ice cream plan failed, it was one of the closest attempts the U.S. had to take out the ruthless leader.
And they did it by leveraging his known habits against him.
The reality is that we are all creatures of habit. Many of us do the same things, at the same time, every day.
We don’t think too much about it, and our guard is lowered because it’s something we do all the time.
But the problem is that like the example of Fidel Castro, your habits could put your life in dangerous situations depending on the threat levels you have in your life and how high-profile you are.
Here are a few ways habits can put you at risk or save you.
Leaving things unlocked:
We all forget to do things when we are leaving or in a hurry. It happens.
But a habit of not checking doors or window locks before leaving can lead to a nightmare break-in.
So, train yourself to always check the doors, cars, and garages before leaving and after coming home.
Always make this a routine before leaving or going to bed.
Physical fitness:
Everyone is at different fitness levels. But engaging in some form of physical fitness is a crucial habit.
Even if it’s just walking around the block, any physical activity can improve strength, agility, and coordination.
You need to get into a physical fitness so you’re in the best shape you can be.
It will make a big difference during an emergency or self-defense situation.
Keep tools close by:
Another habit change that can save your life is keeping self-defense weapons close by.
For instance, if you spend the majority of your day sitting in your home office, make sure you have a gun, knife, or other self-defense weapon within arm’s reach.
This will buy you time in the event you are sitting at your desk and an intruder kicks down the front door.
In addition, always plan to have an exit strategy.
Whether it’s your home or a restaurant, get in the habit of finding the exit and knowing the fastest way to get out.
We all have habits that can put us in dangerous situations.
But, knowing what your habits are, and keeping vigilant while going about them can help ensure you don’t slip into danger.
Plus, eliminating as many bad habits as possible and developing good habits will help keep you safe during your daily routine.
