I was 4000 meters up in the Andean mountains when the realisation finally hit me. Attempting to ‘fit in’ just wasn’t going to work.

The year was 2007 and I was walking the Inca Trail. Frustrated with the lack of adventure in my life and, in the hope that I might make some new friends, I signed up to an organised trip to Machu Picchu.

I want to share something personal with you. I want to talk about an experience that's gut wrenching, motivation sapping and, in the extreme, makes you want to give up on life.

I am, of course, talking about those occasions when your heart gets broken.

Today, I'm going to tell you about 3 times this happened to me and what I learned from the experience. However, only one of these heart breaks was caused by a failed romance.

The 29th December 2016 will forever be a significant day in the history of my life.

It was a Thursday, and every Thursday, I open Campaign Monitor (the email marketing company I use) and check how many new subscribers I get each week.

The System has a strangle hold over our lives in two vital areas - personal and professional. 

Last month, I explored how it constrains you personally; influencing you to be anxious about the future, keeping you distracted through information overload, making you afraid to act for fear of what other people may think or say and encouraging you to spend your life chasing instead of living in the moment.