---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No matter what identity we cling to, it…"
description: "\"No matter what identity we cling to, it takes great courage to step out of the old masks we wear and the old scripts that we live by, and open ourselve..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47b/adyashanti-1169_core_no-matter-what-identity-we-cling-to-it-t_230416.png"
---

#  No matter what identity we cling to, it takes great…

![“No matter what identity we cling to, it takes great courage to step out of the old masks we wear and the old scripts that we live by, and open ourselves to the mysterious inner core of our being.” quote by Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47b/adyashanti-1169_core_no-matter-what-identity-we-cling-to-it-t_230416.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47b/adyashanti-1169_core_no-matter-what-identity-we-cling-to-it-t_230416.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47b/adyashanti-1169_core_no-matter-what-identity-we-cling-to-it-t_230416.png)

> “No matter what identity we cling to, it takes great courage to step out of the old masks we wear and the old scripts that we live by, and open ourselves to the mysterious inner core of our being.”

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

She urges shedding fixed identities and scripts to reveal deeper self.

**In simple terms:** Let go of old roles to discover inner truth.

Key Takeaway

Release old masks to find authentic self.

Themes

identity courage self‑discovery spirituality transformation

Mood

contemplative hopeful

Type

spiritual motivational

When to use this quote

- Therapy
- meditation retreats
- personal growth coaching

Key Concepts

Ego archetype inner core mindfulness

Questions to Reflect On

- What masks are you clinging to?
- How can you balance authenticity with social responsibilities?

A Different Perspective

Risk of losing useful social roles.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Core](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/core/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Courage Step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage-step-1430156/) [Great Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-courage/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Identity Cling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity-cling-2334594/) [Live by](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-by/) [Mask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mask/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Mysterious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mysterious/) [Mysterious Inner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mysterious-inner-2334595/) [No matter what](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-matter-what/) [Scripts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scripts/) [Steps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steps/)

## Related quotes

> [But he'd learned long ago that a life lived without risks pretty much wasn't worth living. Life rewarded courage, even when that first step…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamera-alexander/but-he-d-learned-long-ago-that-a-life-lived-without-risks-pretty-much/)

[Tamera Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamera-alexander/)

> [“A mystical path requires courage as you must take a first step of faith so that the second may be of science. ☥”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-marques/a-mystical-path-requires-courage-as-you-must-take-a-first-step-of/)

[Luis Marques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-marques/)

> [The great courageous act that we must all do, is to have the courage to step out of our history and past so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/the-great-courageous-act-that-we-must-all-do-is-to-have-the-courage/)

[Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/)

> [“It takes courage to step outside your comfort zones, and I recommend everyone—at least once in your life—step out of your sheltered illusions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-levon/it-takes-courage-to-step-outside-your-comfort-zones-and-i-recommend/)

[Elena Levon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-levon/)

> [To ignite your confidence and reclaim your courage, you must step into the highest vision of who you are. The only way to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/to-ignite-your-confidence-and-reclaim-your-courage-you-must-step-into/)

[Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/)

> [“I just had to find the courage to take that first step.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-hubbard/i-just-had-to-find-the-courage-to-take-that-first-step/)

[Kirsten Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-hubbard/)

> [Wrestling is man against man. It takes great courage to step on the mat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cael-sanderson/wrestling-is-man-against-man-it-takes-great-courage-to-step-on-the-mat/)

[Cael Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cael-sanderson/)

> [It takes courage to step out of the line marked 'security' into the line marked 'risk.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-g-allen/it-takes-courage-to-step-out-of-the-line-marked-security-into-the/)

[Robert G. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-g-allen/)

> [“All of us, at some point in life, get brilliant ideas...only a few of us have the courage to take the next step.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manoj-arora/all-of-us-at-some-point-in-life-get-brilliant-ideas-only-a-few-of-us/)

[Manoj Arora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manoj-arora/)

> [If you really want to get your feet wet, you have to first have the courage to step in the water.~ENB](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-nathaniel-butler/if-you-really-want-to-get-your-feet-wet-you-have-to-first-have-the/)

[Eugene Nathaniel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-nathaniel-butler/)

> [“There are times in our lives when the Lord calls us to seize the opportunities presented us. When we must, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-morgan/there-are-times-in-our-lives-when-the-lord-calls-us-to-seize-the/)

[Kathleen Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-morgan/)

> [Courage is one step ahead of fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coleman-young/courage-is-one-step-ahead-of-fear/)

[Coleman Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coleman-young/)

> [It takes great courage and personal strength to hold on to our center during times of great hurt. It takes wisdom to understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/it-takes-great-courage-and-personal-strength-to-hold-on-to-our-center/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [“Olive had great courage. Perhaps it takes courage to raise children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steinbeck-john/olive-had-great-courage-perhaps-it-takes-courage-to-raise-children/)

[steinbeck, John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steinbeck-john/)

> [Forgiving someone is the act of great courage. Which not everyone has the competence to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/forgiving-someone-is-the-act-of-great-courage-which-not-everyone-has/)

[Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/)

## More by Adyashanti

> [The world's problems are, by and large, human problems-the unavoidable consequence of egoic sleepwalking. If we care to look, all the signs are present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/the-world-s-problems-are-by-and-large-human-problems-the-unavoidable/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [This moment in which you experience stillness is every moment. Don't let the mind seduce you into the past or future. Stay in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/this-moment-in-which-you-experience-stillness-is-every-moment-don-t/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [When you rest deeply in the Unknown without trying to escape, your experience becomes very vast. As the experience of the Unknown deepens, your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/when-you-rest-deeply-in-the-unknown-without-trying-to-escape-your/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [Embrace suffering, and you transform your relationship with what causes you to suffer, as well as your relationship with suffering itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/embrace-suffering-and-you-transform-your-relationship-with-what/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [What is really important you can't understand with your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/what-is-really-important-you-can-t-understand-with-your-mind/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [What would happen if you were to allow everything to be exactly as it is? If you gave up the need for control, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/what-would-happen-if-you-were-to-allow-everything-to-be-exactly-as-it/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [Inherent in the impulse to be free, is insecurity. The impulse to be free comes from outside of the mind, and because of this,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/inherent-in-the-impulse-to-be-free-is-insecurity-the-impulse-to-be/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [You can't lose what you serve. That's the secret. What you serve, you can't lose. What you don't serve and what you try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/you-can-t-lose-what-you-serve-that-s-the-secret-what-you-serve-you/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [It is not the pursuit of greater and greater states of happiness and bliss that leads to enlightenment, but the yearning for Reality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/it-is-not-the-pursuit-of-greater-and-greater-states-of-happiness-and/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [Suffering is how Life tells you that you are resisting or misperceiving what is real and true. It is the way Life suggests that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/suffering-is-how-life-tells-you-that-you-are-resisting-or/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [Real meditation is not about mastering a technique; it's about letting go of control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/real-meditation-is-not-about-mastering-a-technique-it-s-about-letting/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [When emptiness is still, that is eternity. When it moves, that is love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/when-emptiness-is-still-that-is-eternity-when-it-moves-that-is-love/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [You are an incredible mystery that you will never figure out. To be this mystery consciously is the greatest joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/you-are-an-incredible-mystery-that-you-will-never-figure-out-to-be/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [Life sustains itself. Let go of the ego and life takes care of itself through you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/life-sustains-itself-let-go-of-the-ego-and-life-takes-care-of-itself/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [One doesn't stay in a state of nirvana by hiding from difficulties. You stay in nirvana by lavishing nirvana on everyone you meet, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/one-doesn-t-stay-in-a-state-of-nirvana-by-hiding-from-difficulties/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

[Explore all 279 Adyashanti quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

## More Core quotes

> [I guess at it's very core love is connection that just makes so much sense you wonder how you used to live before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-stone/i-guess-at-it-s-very-core-love-is-connection-that-just-makes-so-much/)

[Benjamin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-stone/)

> [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/)

[William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/)

> [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [The language we share is at the core of our identity as citizens, and our ticket to full participation in American political life. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/the-language-we-share-is-at-the-core-of-our-identity-as-citizens-and/)

[S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/)

> [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-have-a-fear-of-facing-ourselves-that-is-the-obstacle-experiencing/)

[Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/)

> [Mass adulation from the multitudes does not penetrate your soul or your core.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-o-donnell/mass-adulation-from-the-multitudes-does-not-penetrate-your-soul-or/)

[Rosie O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-o-donnell/)

> [I think we all have a core that's ecstatic, that knows and that looks up in wonder. We all know that there are marvelous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coleman-barks/i-think-we-all-have-a-core-that-s-ecstatic-that-knows-and-that-looks/)

[Coleman Barks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coleman-barks/)

> [A classic is like a hidden treasure. Its core is buried under so many layers of varnish that it can be reached only by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-louis-barrault/a-classic-is-like-a-hidden-treasure-its-core-is-buried-under-so-many/)

[Jean-Louis Barrault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-louis-barrault/)

> [I was taking all prints and I brought them to the Magnum meetings, trying the old Josef Koudelka trick: Give them to photographers, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-van-agtmael/i-was-taking-all-prints-and-i-brought-them-to-the-magnum-meetings/)

[Peter van Agtmael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-van-agtmael/)

> [Love is the supreme form of communication. In the hierarchy of needs, love stands as the supreme developing agent of the humanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/love-is-the-supreme-form-of-communication-in-the-hierarchy-of-needs/)

[Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/)

> [I think if something resonates, even if it's surreal, it's because it is relatable and I think that that's a core issue for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kaufman/i-think-if-something-resonates-even-if-it-s-surreal-it-s-because-it/)

[Charlie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kaufman/)

> [Consider the core of the mind to be a wagon, with will-power to be carried about in it. Push it to a place where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takuan-soho/consider-the-core-of-the-mind-to-be-a-wagon-with-will-power-to-be/)

[Takuan Soho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takuan-soho/)

> [Sports have always been a huge part of my life and my conversations. It is a thrill and an honor to be a part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-sanders/sports-have-always-been-a-huge-part-of-my-life-and-my-conversations/)

[Summer Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-sanders/)

> [Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/most-of-us-think-of-pride-as-self-centeredness-conceit-boastfulness/)

[Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/)

> [Don't underestimate the power of your vision to change the world. Whether that world is your office, your community, an industry or a global…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-hood/don-t-underestimate-the-power-of-your-vision-to-change-the-world/)

[Leroy Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-hood/)

[Browse all 1,833 Core quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/core/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "No matter what identity we cling to, it takes great courage to step out of the old masks we wear and the old scripts that we live by, and open ourselves to the mysterious inner core of our being.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Adyashanti"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/no-matter-what-identity-we-cling-to-it-takes-great-courage-to-step/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Core"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/no-matter-what-identity-we-cling-to-it-takes-great-courage-to-step/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47b/adyashanti-1169_core_no-matter-what-identity-we-cling-to-it-t_230416.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47b/adyashanti-1169_core_no-matter-what-identity-we-cling-to-it-t_230416.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47b/adyashanti-1169_core_no-matter-what-identity-we-cling-to-it-t_230416.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“No matter what identity we cling to, it takes great courage to step out of the old masks we wear and the old…” — Adyashanti",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Adyashanti",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "No matter what identity we cling...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/no-matter-what-identity-we-cling-to-it-takes-great-courage-to-step/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/no-matter-what-identity-we-cling-to-it-takes-great-courage-to-step/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
