Astronauts Call It the Overview Effect — You Need This Reset | Caroline Paul

Caroline Paul has spent decades doing things most people stop doing after 50 — flying experimental planes, surfing, skateboarding into Yosemite at 57. Her new book, Why Fly, is built around a question that follows her everywhere: what changes in us when the world suddenly feels bigger than our problems?

Astronauts call it the overview effect — that strange shift that happens when you're suddenly confronted with scale, beauty, and fragility all at once. Caroline has spent years chasing a version of that feeling closer to home, through awe, attention, and adventure.

In this conversation: how to practice presence without turning your life into a self-improvement project, why awe acts like a mental reset, and how adventure — done thoughtfully — helps you move through hard seasons with more clarity and courage.

Caroline’s work is a gift. Enjoy! 

Why Fly: https://www.carolinepaul.com/why-fly

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Topics: longevity, fitness over 40, endurance training, aging athletes, recovery, injury prevention