If you pay your own bills but still feel like someone else runs your day, you are not alone.
🧠 The Truth About Independence
Real independence is peace, choice, and space to think.
From the moment we are born, we reach for independence
Think about a baby learning to roll over. A toddler saying “Me do it.” A teen who wants more freedom. From day one we are wired to grow, explore, and stand on our own two feet.
But along the way life teaches a different message:
- “Be good so people do not get mad.”
- “Keep the peace even if you feel small.”
- “Work harder. Do more. Do not make a fuss.”
You grow up. You work. You care. You try. Yet you can still feel like you are not the one driving your own life.
What real independence looks like
Real independence is not a perfect life. It is a steady inner life even when things around you are messy.
- A mostly calm nervous system
- Clear “yes” and clear “no” without three days of guilt
- Money that gives you options, not panic
- Space in your day to think and breathe
- Relationships where respect goes both ways
- The sense that you are the one holding the steering wheel
If this does not match your daily life, it does not mean you failed. It means you were never given a real map.
🛑 Why so many caring adults still feel stuck
Most of your chaos is not yours. It is other people’s moods, drama, money problems, fear, and control.
You can be smart, kind, and hard working and still feel like a puppet on invisible strings. This is what I call STUCK™.
- Spinning in your head and second guessing your choices
- Saying yes when you want to say no
- Tired, over responsible, and still not at peace
STUCK™ is not your fault. But staying there is a choice. That is where independence work begins.
🧠 The GoldZone™ Method – a simple map out of STUCK™
To make independence easier to see I created a visual map called the GoldZone™ Cycle. It shows three zones your brain can live in.
The Dependent Cub
Fear, chaos, survival mode. You walk on eggshells, fix crises, and hope things calm down “after this week.”
The Sleepy Lion
You look fine from the outside, but inside you feel flat, busy, and tired. Life is on autopilot. You keep everyone else going while your own dreams wait.
The Awakened Lion
Calm, clear, independent. You protect your peace first, build simple money systems, and take mindful action toward your goals.
The GoldZone™ Method helps you see your pattern, name the real problem, and take one small step at a time toward emotional, financial, and personal freedom.
Independence grows one small move at a time
You do not have to burn your life down to get your freedom back. You start by noticing: “Am I in Bronze, Silver, or Gold right now?”
Then you make one tiny shift – a clear boundary, a simple money habit, a moment of quiet instead of another fight. Every small LionUP™ move teaches your brain, “I can choose my life again.”
Tiny brave steps are how you rebuild emotional, financial, and personal freedom.
Books to help you build real independence
Coming soonThese projects are on their way. Each one is designed to help you escape STUCK™, protect your peace, and move into your GoldZone™ – at your own pace.
For adults who give and give, but still feel controlled by other people’s moods, money drama, or expectations.
A simple guide to help young adults build confidence, set boundaries, and create a life on their terms.
How to help your Gen Z young adult build independence without getting stuck in rescue mode.
👋 Hey, I'm Yakira Yedidia
The Independence GUIDE | Founder of LionUP™
I grew up around toxic people who were stuck – in their thinking, their conditional love, and their money. Staying small was normal. I wanted to thrive.
So I left home and my country with $600 and no option but to figure life out. Step by step, I learned how to escape STUCK – in my mind, with my money, and in my relationships.
No one was coming to rescue me, and no one is coming to rescue you – and that’s good news. The power is already in your hands. Take one small step, and I’ll show you the next.
“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
- 🛑 Escape STUCK™, move from chaos to calm – GoldZone™.
- 💥 Build unshakable self-worth.
- 🦁 Create a life of purpose and possibility.