The Real Question

Jackson has built an intentional and fulfilling life for himself. He has a supportive family and many friends, and a career he really enjoys. There is an overall sense of contentment with the way things are, but after a series of unexpected challenges he wonders if he's missing out by not having a romantic partner to share in his highs and lows. This week on the show Mauricio and Jackson explore w...

Sruthi works in education. Throughout her career she's has had a wide range of experiences across different institutions – they haven't all been good. In fact, some have been really, really bad. While she often shares insights when asked for advice, she wonders: should she speak out more publicly? And if she does, what risks might come with telling the truth? This week on the show Mauricio and Sru...

Co-founder of Not Sorry, Ariana Nedelman, has a new podcast project out today! When We All Get to Heaven is a 10-episode series that tells the story of one of the first gay-positive churches, the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco, and how it faced the personal, social, and political trials of the AIDS epidemic, including the deaths of hundreds of its members. The series is releasing o...

Our guest today recently moved to be closer to a long distance partner. They thought it would make the relationship feel closer, but since the move, things have been feeling off. Is it a sign they should break-up? Or is just a passing symptom of changing circumstances? This week on the show Mauricio and our guest explore the difference between friendship and romantic partnership. -- This show is c...

Wes and his fiancee are facing one of the classic millennial issues: they can't afford to buy a house. They've lived in Vermont all their adult lives and they love it there – they love their jobs, they love their friends, they love the access to nature. But should they leave in order to build a better future for themselves and their potential future kids? This week on the show Mauricio and Wes exp...

About three years ago, Vanessa "broke-up" with one of her close friends. She tried to do it kindly, but in retrospect she feels guilty for how it all went down. So recently she decided to reach back out and apologize. Faced with his response, she's now asking herself: What's the best way to handle this set of communications when there's still a lot of pain on both sides? This week on the show Maur...

When Katy was a kid, she dreamt of being a stage actress. After some early rejections, she pivoted to stand-up and improv and built a career for herself in that field. Now she's working for a college theater department and she find herself feeling jealous of the kids in her program. She's having trouble making sense of this jealousy. Does it mean she should try to do stage acting again? This week...

Naomi Westwater released their latest album, Cycle & Change , this past spring. This album release intersected with a lot of big life events – a divorce, moving house, the death of their father – and they didn't have the capacity to celebrate and promote the album the way they planned. Can they celebrate the album now? Or is it too late? This week on the show Mauricio and Naomi explore wh...

Five years ago, Karolina's friend stopped replying to her messages. Karolina doesn't know why. Did she do something wrong? Was the friend just going through a hard time? If so – why hasn't the friend reached out since? Karolina misses her friend and it still bothers her. Should she reach out and try to reconnect? This week on the show Mauricio and Karolina discuss ghosting and the pain it lea...

Christine Flynn calls herself 'a bit of a workaholic.' She's always taking on new projects and managing some aspect of life with a successful career, three kids, and a family farm. Does she truly need to be juggling everything she's doing? Or is there some way to slow down and stay afloat? This week on the show Mauricio and Christine discuss how to build a sense of safety. Christine is a chef and...

Sarah has been on the path to medical school for the past few years – she's taught herself physics and chemistry, she's taken the MCAT and done pretty well! But unfortunately her scores aren't good enough to stay in province. Should she apply to other provinces and plan to uproot her life (and her three young kids)? Should she wait a year and re-take the MCAT with the hopes of getting better...

About two years ago, Brandice and her husband decided to limit contact with her in-laws after one of their children came out as trans. The in-laws couldn't accept it and wanted to lecture them about the Bible. But now, it’s clear that the family—especially the other kids—miss them. Is there a way to mend the relationship, or is the rift permanent? This week, Mauricio and Brandice explore what it m...

Melissa has two big things going on in her life: she's getting a divorce from her husband and she's recently realized she's bisexual. As she thinks about being single again – should she take this opportunity to date a woman? This week, Mauricio and Melissa explore how past relationships create frameworks for the future. NB: This episode includes reference to alcoholism and abusive partnership...

Sophie loves her home in the village. She's surrounded by nature and she feels like she can be herself. But with climate events on the rise, is it wise to stay somewhere that may become increasingly dangerous? Should she move into town? This week, Mauricio and Sophie figure out how to weigh what your heart wants against the 'sensible' option. The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find us at...

Clinton applied to medical school five times after graduating college. He never got in and eventually resigned himself to that reality. And he's been living a good life since! He runs a business, he has hobbies, he's very happy. But now there's a new medical school opening in his province and therefore a new opportunity for admission. Should he try one more time? This week, Mauricio and Clinton ev...

This week’s guest is anonymous—but their question is one many people wrestle with: Should I come out to my family? Their family is conservative and religious and they worry that being honest about who they are could mean being cut off entirely. But if they don't come out, are they being true to themselves? This week, Mauricio and our guest explore what it means to feel like the black sheep of the...

Hallie has started to notice a pattern in her life: once she gets a year and a half into a job, she feels the urge to 'job hop' – to quit and move on. Is that an urge she should be listening to? Or are her job expectations unrealistically high? This week, Mauricio and Hallie discuss how to evaluate a job to know whether it's 'good enough.' The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find us at our...

Bailey—an ordained minister in a progressive church—recently got married. But their conservative Christian cousin didn’t attend the wedding, citing his opposition to queer marriage. Until now, they’ve had a good relationship, and Bailey knows a conversation needs to happen. The question is: should theology be part of it? This week, Mauricio and Bailey explore the intersection of faith and family,...

Sophie has been a songwriter ever since she was 12 years old. She put out her first album when she was 16 years old. But as she's gotten older, she's been recording less and feeling more uncomfortable with the label 'musician.' She has such a mix of feelings connected to making music – joy, embarrassment, disappointment. It's all led to the question: What kind of relationship does she want to...

Today we’re breaking our normal format to speak with Brooke Williams , the author of Encountering Dragonfly: Notes on the Practice of Re-Enchantment.   Mauricio and Brooke discuss the Jungian concept of ‘synchronicity’, the practice of active imagination, and the power of attention.  The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find us at our website | Follow us on Instagram -- This show...

Elyse's mom died of breast cancer a few years ago. Recently, she's tested positive for the same cancer-causing gene that her mom had. That puts her at high risk of getting breast cancer too. There are two paths forward: she can rigorously test and monitor her health, or she can get a preventative mastectomy. This week, Mauricio and Elyse explore our relationships to our bodies and our own mortalit...

Jolie Doggett struggles with boundaries. She's a classic 'yes' person – when someone asks her to jump, she says "how high?" She knows this about herself and she wants to change it. But how do you change something like that? Should she just go cold turkey? Spend a month telling everyone 'no'? This week, Mauricio and Jolie explore why we sometimes preference other people's needs and desires ove...

Stefanie and her parents have never quite seen eye-to-eye about the best way to live. Stefanie has sought passion and spontaneity. Stefanie's parents would much prefer she choose a life of stability and family. Now, Stefanie's parents have offered to buy her an apartment. But what would it mean for her to accept it? Would it feel like a concession to their priorities? This week, Mauricio and Stefa...

Theodora is starting law school in the fall and she's nervous about the workload and intensity. She's a hard worker and she's worried that she'll get totally wrapped up in school and won't be able to slow down and attend to the other things in her life. Does she need to change her relationship to work before it all starts? This week, Mauricio and Theodora explore how to hold yourself to your prior...

Gillian doesn't eat pork and doesn't eat shellfish. It's her version of keeping kosher and she's been doing it for the past decade. Recently, however, she realized that she doesn't really know why she's doing it anymore. Is it still a meaningful practice in her life? Or is it something it's time to set aside? This week, Mauricio and Gillian reflect on the difference between 'habits' and 'rituals.'...