New beginnings can be exciting, disorienting, and occasionally make you wonder whether you’ve made a terrible mistake. This week, Flash offers some small-dog wisdom to a reader preparing to leave the familiar behind and begin a brand-new chapter.

Dear Flash,

How do you navigate the transition between two chapters of your life? What advice would you give someone who is about to start a new job, a new relationship, or a new life in a different city?

— Turning the Page

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Dear Turning the Page,

I know a thing or two about big transitions. I was abandoned in Los Angeles and eventually made my way across the country to New York City, where Mom and I found each other. Suddenly, I had a new home, a new family, new routines, and weather that frankly made me question my life decisions. It was a very big change for a very small dog.

Whenever I enter unfamiliar territory, I begin with the essentials: explore my surroundings, locate the snacks, and identify the most comfy place to nap. Humans may have slightly different priorities, but the basic idea is the same. You don’t have to understand everything immediately. Give yourself time to learn the rhythms of your new life and find a few things that make it feel like yours.

I think it might help you to keep a few principles in mind: Be curious. Enjoy the experience of being new at something. Accept a few invitations, even when staying home feels easier. There may be awkward moments, wrong turns, and days when you wonder whether leaving the familiar was a terrible mistake. This is normal! Even the best adventures can begin with strange new food and nowhere obvious to sit.

At the same time, don’t be so eager to fit into your new surroundings that you forget who you are. A new beginning isn’t an audition. You don’t need to become the person you think everyone expects. Your next adventure is an opportunity to become more fully yourself.

Remember that starting a new chapter doesn’t mean erasing the ones that came before it. You bring your experiences, your people, your memories, and everything you’ve already learned with you. You’re not starting from scratch. You’re starting from experience.

When everything feels overwhelming, return to the basics. Personally, I recommend a little doga. Downward-facing dog is obviously my specialty. 🐕🐾 You might also try having a snack, taking a nap, going for a little walkie, and having a conversation with one of your favorite people. That’s exactly what I would do! Try one of these, or anything else that feels comforting and familiar. Then take the next small step.

New adventures often feel uncertain before they feel exciting. Sometimes you simply have to walk through the door before you know where the treats are kept.

You can do it! Go find your place and begin your next chapter. I know something wonderful is waiting for you!

With love and confidence,

Flash

P.S. Here’s a thought adapted from Henry David Thoreau that may be worth sitting with:

If you advance confidently in the direction of your dreams and endeavor to live the life you’ve imagined, you’ll meet with a success unexpected in common hours.