What Message Would You Leave on Your Answering Machine For Your Younger Self?

2 minute read

Author

Lisa Zane
February 20, 2025

I'm Lisa 👋 Welcome to this week's edition of Stream of Consciousness!

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Hey 👋

Happy Thursday :)

I just saw this reel on Instagram by Ike Wynter. It hit me right in the gut and I wanted to share it with you:

If you've never heard of Ike and his story, he lives in Wisconsin, dumpster dives to find pieces of wood and scraps and turns that trash into really cool nostalgia-infused art like this:

He’s brought his spin on wood art to the New York Stock Exchange, thrown a first pitch at an MLB game, and now sells his garbage-turned-art for thousands of dollars.

In his 20s, he suffered from long Covid which brought on depression which he still deals with. Since then, he has become a mental health awareness advocate. Part of his drive? Making people smile and giving them hope.

These are two of my favourite quotes from him:

“I just get to cut wood all day and listen to music - that’s my joy.” (From an interview he did with The Today Show).

“I’ve kind of always followed my heart and done what I wanted to do.” (From an interview he did with NBC).

I wonder what the world would look like if more of us were able to navigate life with this kind of compass.

His Instagram reel really got me thinking:

  1. What would I say in a message I would send now to my younger self?

  2. What message would I want to hear right now from my future self?

I think this is a great thought exercise to go through to help make yourself feel seen, supported, and loved.

What message would you leave on your own voicemail for your younger self?

If you could think about a message you would want to hear right now from Future You, what would it say?

If you’re open to sharing, let me know.

P.S. Here’s his website if you want to take a look at some of his creations.

Soulwork 💜

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Have a great rest of your week!

-Lisa ✌️