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The Year of the Snake: The End of the Beginning

Updated: Jun 27


From the moment we first learn to say “I”, our ego’s journey begins.

Before that, we simply exist, fully present and whole, untouched by labels or stories. There is no mine, no yours, no “I am this or that". We just see, feel, and are.


Once the mind discovers ownership with thoughts like “I have this”, “I did that”, or “this is mine”, a new voice awakens inside. As Eckhart Tolle describes in A New Earth, this sense of “I” turns life into a lifelong story of possessing, protecting, achieving, and defending. The ego builds an identity from these stories we replay in our minds, reinforcing who we think we are.


In many ways, the ego does a remarkable job. It helps us survive heartbreak, rejection, and disappointment. It steps in when our self-worth feels fragile and gives us the backbone to stand tall. It fuels our confidence to speak up in rooms where we might otherwise stay silent. It pushes us to chase success, prove ourselves, and carve out a place in a world that constantly tests us.


For a time, the ego is like a loyal bodyguard, but its protection comes with a hidden cost. If we are not mindful, the same armor that once safeguarded us can become the mask we forget how to take off. Without noticing, we begin living through the ego alone, defining ourselves by what we have, what we achieve, how we appear, or who we pretend to be. External things start to feel like our entire identity. The ego becomes so familiar, so woven into our thoughts and habits, that it quietly runs the show.


Imagine for a moment what life would feel like without all this noise in our heads. Picture yourself born deep in a forest, raised by monkeys, with no human language and no way to label yourself or the world around you. For real, do it. Imagine if you looked at a tree, you would not think “tree” because your brain would not be able to identify a word to cause the identification of it's form. There would also be no mental commentary on whether it is big or small, useful or useless, pretty or plain as those judgments do not exist without words at all, only observation can occur. It would simply exist, and so would you. The word tree doesn't own the tree itself, any more than what you label yourself to be. YOU are not that.


Without words, you would not overthink or overanalyze. There would be no replaying the past, no worrying about the future, no imaginary arguments or measuring your worth against someone else’s. There would be no exhausting inner dialogue. There would only be seeing and being.


Of course, we cannot live in this modern world by becoming monkeys. We cannot build businesses, raise families, or thrive without language, thought, or identity. That is not the point. I share this forest example to show how intensely our human minds cling to words, labels, and stories that keep us distracted and disconnected from the simple truth of what is. Beneath that endless mental chatter is a calm and clear part of us that just sees life as it is. Remembering this space is here is key.


In astrology, this year is the Year of the Snake, a symbol of transformation through shedding. The snake reminds us that growth is impossible without release. Just as it must let go of tight, dead skin to move forward, we must not fight to let go of parts of ourselves that no longer fit.


Lately, I have felt this collective shedding all around me and within myself. It keeps bringing me back to an old quote I first heard in Ginny & Georgia and then again in a World War II documentary:


"This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." -Winston Churchill


This is exactly how it feels to loosen the ego’s grip. It is not a dramatic finale but the tender, often messy closing of one chapter and the quiet beginning of another. It marks the end of who we thought we had to be and the gentle beginning of who we really are.


Many people reach this threshold. The illusions crack. The old stories lose their power. The shadows come into the light. Yet many stay stuck here, awake enough to sense the truth but not yet free enough to live fully awake and guided by love instead of fear.


Why is this so hard? Because the next step is often the most honest and demanding one we ever face. It means seeing yourself clearly and accepting everything you find, the beautiful parts and the uncomfortable ones, and embracing it all as you. Most people struggle with owning their flaws and mistakes. Some hate what they see and let it become their entire identity, while others hide behind their good qualities and choose to overlook the rest. True acceptance means facing the choices made out of fear or pride, recognizing how long you have hidden behind your ego’s armor, and being truthful enough to see how far you have drifted from who you really are underneath it all, and then loving yourself anyway, every part included.


Some people cannot bear this step. They cling to the ego because they believe it created everything they value: success, status, reputation, a sense of control. Even when they can sense how the ego has hardened them, tensed their bodies, and filled their minds with restless thoughts, they hold tighter to it as proof of "strength". This isn't strength but falsely labeled self-neglect. The cost of this cost shows up quietly as tension stored in the body, stress woven into every thought, and a nervous system stuck in overdrive.


Over time, we become so calcified in our bodies, so rigid with suppressed emotions, and so outdated in our beliefs that we begin to glitch in subtle but telling ways. We react instead of respond. We numb instead of feel. We break down on an ordinary day and do not know why. We do not realize that the ego we trust to hold us together has been slowly constricting us until there is barely space left to breathe or grow.


This is exactly what many people call a midlife crisis. One day, the armor cracks. The career, the relationships, the possessions that once defined us lose their power to satisfy. We glimpse the illusion of the old story but do not yet know how to live without it, the ego has been such a huge part of our lives for so long. It has been with us each morning as we woke up and each night as we closed our eyes to sleep.


So, we panic. We buy things, chase our youth, run from our reality, or cling desperately to what we know instead of seeing that this breakdown is an invitation to release what no longer fits and step into a truer, freer self.


What we often overlook is how deeply this invisible war between ego and true self affects our well-being. Many carry layers of anxiety, depression, confusion, or mood swings without knowing the source. Some live with autoimmune diseases, the body attacking itself, possibly rooted in unresolved inner conflict and mistaken identity. For decades, our medical system has called this only a chemical imbalance and prescribed medication that may quiet symptoms but rarely heals the root. It soothes the branches while the roots continue to rot underground. What good is a fixed branch when the tree is ready to collapse?


Do you cling tighter to what no longer fits and pretend you do not see what you see? Or do you loosen your grip, let what must fall away fall, and step into the truth you have buried under years of survival?

A little resistance is normal. Think of a rubber band. When you pull it back, that tension can build power and help launch you forward if you release it at the right time. But if you keep it stretched too long and never let it go, the rubber weakens, hardens, and eventually snaps or rots in your hands. The same happens inside us. Tension held too long dulls your energy, turns into pain, and can show up as illness or quiet suffering.


So I ask you to explore:

What are you resisting?

How long have you been holding it?

Is your resistance building your strength or has it hardened into pain that 's holding you back?


You were never meant to carry every old skin forever. Even the snake naturally knows when it is time to shed. Take a breath. Loosen your grip. Trust that what falls away makes room for what is lighter, clearer, and more real.


If there were no words, you would see. You would breathe. You would simply be.


Shedding your ego does not mean erasing it. It will always be part of you but it will no longer be your master calling the shots. It becomes a tool, not a cage. You move through life freer, softer, clearer, guided more by truth than fear.


You do not have to do this all at once. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is stop pretending you do not see what you see and stand honestly in the truth of exactly where you are right now.


This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. It is only the end of the beginning...


I love you.

B

 
 
 

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ABOUT

Brooke Coleman is not just a dedicated practitioner and instructor but also a registered member of Yoga Alliance, a globally esteemed organization setting high standards for yoga professionals. This affiliation underscores Brooke's unwavering commitment to maintaining professional excellence and adhering to ethical standards in yoga instruction.

Brooke's journey in yoga is marked by significant milestones, including her completion of the Power Yoga 200 RYT certification under the tutelage of the esteemed Kate Doran, owner of Savannah Power Yoga. She further expanded her expertise by completing the Chakra-vinsaya Yoga Teacher Training with Yoga Academy International.

In addition to her yoga credentials, Brooke is a manifestation career coach, Reiki practitioner, business consultant, and owner of The Marketing Company. Her multifaceted expertise is evident in her continuous pursuit of personal and professional development, which includes leading yoga retreats and offering a holistic approach to wellness.

Through her diverse skill set and holistic approach to wellness, Brooke aims to empower individuals on their journey towards physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

CONTACT

Tel: +1 912-477-8544

get@connectedwithbrooke.com

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