The Real Question

Larissa's father was a big part of her life, and over the summer he passed away unexpectedly. As she returns to her daily routine, she's finding it difficult to honor her grief while also continuing her life. Is there any way to balance the two? This week on the show, Mauricio and our guest explore grief, expectations, and new rituals. -- This show is completely funded by Patreon, and we a...

In the weeks between new episodes, we'll be revisiting some favorite old ones with some new commentary from Mauricio. In this episode from Season 4, Mauricio talks to Katy. 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...

In the weeks between new episodes, we'll be revisiting some favorite old ones with some new commentary from Mauricio. In this episode from Season 3, Vanessa talks to Penni Jo. Five years ago, Penni Jo made a late-in-life decision to pursue a career as a songwriter. Now, with a few years of rejection under her belt, she’s wondering if it’s time to give up on that dream. Should she just get a ‘r...

Once upon a time, Amber was a seminary student, and then - a pastor! It's an important part of her story, but not at all where she ended up. Now that her workplace has moved into a bigger building, and her office has space to put up diplomas, should she display that part of her past openly to her coworkers? This week on the show, Mauricio and our guest explore storytelling, assumptions, and guilt....

In the weeks between new episodes, we'll be revisiting some favorite old ones with some new commentary from Mauricio. In this episode from Season 2, Vanessa and Casper talk to Maya. Maya has been in pain for years. She’s been going to doctors, trying to figure out what's going on with her body, but nobody seems to think anything is wrong with her. And lately she’s started to feel like the whole pr...

Once a month we'll be dropping into the feed with a (totally optional) prompt for listener submissions. This month Mauricio is thinking about rejection, and how we deal with it. Submit your questions here ! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As an adult, Eva has formed a spiritual community and developed a practice that are very important to her. Her spiritual elder is someone she respects a lot, but has historically had a complicated relationship with. She worries about having her children around this person - how can she ensure they have the full religious experience while also ensuring their emotional safety? This week on the show...

Once a month we'll be dropping into the feed with a (totally optional) prompt for listener submissions. This month Mauricio is thinking about grief and what we owe eachother. Submit your questions here ! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the weeks between new episodes, we'll be revisiting some favorite old ones with some new commentary from Mauricio. In this episode from Season 4, Mauricio talks to Anna. Anna knows she wants to be a parent and she doesn't want to do it alone, but she's never particularly wanted a life partner. Should she reconsider that position for the sake of raising a child? On tthis episode, Anna and Mauric...

In the weeks between new episodes, we'll be revisiting some favorite old ones with some new commentary from Mauricio. In this episode from Season 3, Miranda brings a question about her long term relationship. Over the last year, she's taken some steps back from the relationship. They used to live together and now they live separately. She used to imagine marrying him, now it doesn’t seem in the ca...

Em was very close to their grandparents growing up. But as an adult and a queer person, it has become clear that their views are not validating and supportive of who Em is. Em hasn't formally come out to them, but has received mixed feedback from other family members and has been dreading spending time with the family overall. What do they owe these people, who were once a very big and important p...

In the weeks between new episodes, we'll be revisiting some favorite old ones with some new commentary from Mauricio. In this episode from Season 2, Vanessa brings a question about instincts and intuition. She's always felt that she has good instincts about people, but recently she's started to wonder: where does that gut instinct come from inside of her? And how can she make sure her 'gut' is ref...

Once a month we'll be dropping into the feed with a (totally optional) prompt for listener submissions. This month Mauricio is thinking about religion and ritual in secular life. Submit your questions here ! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the weeks between new episodes, we'll be revisiting some favorite old ones with some new commentary from Mauricio. In this episode from Season 3, Vanessa talks to Cari, who has been dreading going to church. In theory, she likes so much about the community. But lately, she’s been resenting her obligations there. Is this just a rut? Or is it time to move on? Stick around until the end of the epi...

In the weeks between new episodes, we'll be revisiting some favorite old ones with some new commentary from Mauricio. In this episode from Season 4, Mauricio speaks to a guest who has always wanted to have a kid. He’s also aware that having a kid will totally transform his life! Is he willing to give up parts of his life to make room for a baby? Stick around until the end of the episode for Mauric...

In the weeks between new episodes, we'll be revisiting some favorite old ones with some new commentary from Mauricio. In this episode from Season 2, Casper and Vanessa talk to Lily. Lily has a boyfriend who she loves. But you know who she doesn’t love? Her boyfriend’s brother. He makes Lily feel small and hurt and honestly angry every time they see each other. But Lily wants to have a good relatio...

This week we're joined by the lovely and very talented Micaela Blei for a special conversation all about storytelling! Micaela and Mauricio talk about the different ways storytelling helps us think about and shape our own identities, and how it's been a helpful tool on this season of The Real Question. To learn more about What Matters with Micaela, Mauricio and carvel wallace go to our website her...

Kate has always been pretty well informed on current events. They work with kids who care deeply about what's happening in the world, and they believe in the power of collective attention. Unfortunately, over the last several years they've been dealing with back pain which often requires their full attention. Is there a way for them to ease back into paying attention to the news, while also managi...

Over the years, Katie's whole family slowly moved to the same midwestern city. Katie was raised with extended family close by and really values this for her future children. Two years ago, she and her husband has made the move as well, but so far they've hated their experience in this city. Does she need to move somewhere new, or is this the best option for her future children? This week on the sh...

Once a month we'll be dropping into the feed with a (totally optional) prompt for listener submissions. This month Mauricio is thinking about community ahead of his brother's wedding. Submit your questions here ! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily is a new mother finally finding the balance between time for her daughter and time just for herself. She's a reliable and consistent friend, a supportive figure within her family, and involved with her community yoga studio. But as she watches the news and the way other people are responding on her social media feeds she wonders, is she doing enough to meet the current moment? This week on t...

Once a month we'll be dropping into the feed with a (totally optional) prompt for listener submissions. This month Mauricio is thinking about navigating the return of his cluster headaches. Submit your questions here ! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Through Bunny's husband's job, she has access to one free round of IVF. They've recently started talking to fertility clinics, but she's not quite ready to be a mom yet - and isn't sure if she ever will be. After a bad experience with one of the clinics, she's wondering if she should abandon the process entirely - will she feel guilty and regret it if she does? This week on the show Mauricio and o...

Once a month we'll be dropping into the feed with a (totally optional) prompt for listener submissions. This month Mauricio is thinking about power in the wake of elections in Costa Rica. Submit your questions here ! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lucy has lived in many different cities, but grew up in New York and has recently moved back. She's starting to feel at home, and would love to stay rooted in a local community. Her partner isn't loving New York - she yearns for the beach, and wishes they could live abroad. How can they find a version of home that works for both of them? This week on the show Mauricio and our guest explore how to...