A Note from Our Executive Director: Nicole Hodson
Don’t Ignore the Hand!
Some call it destiny; some call it fate, or divine intervention, or God, or the Universe. I call it the Hand.
Let me give you an example; the other day a young woman very dear to me reached out for some advice. With a master’s degree in Kinesiology, she’s now applied to several Physician’s Assistant (P.A.) programs. But during a recent internship at a hospital emergency room a spark was ignited inside her.
Now she finds herself constantly dreaming about becoming a Medical Doctor. She wrote to me asking, “Am I selling myself short by settling for P.A. school?” My response, “If you’re asking this question, you already know the answer.”
This is a classic example of the Hand at play.
You see, when I’ve had tough decisions to make, I’ve felt like there was a giant hand on top of my head turning me toward one choice over another. Following the Hand has always worked in my favor; ignoring it never has.
It seems the Hand is firmly planted on this bright young woman’s head, turning her toward her calling. So, of course, I encouraged her to pursue her dream. After all, one of the greatest gifts in life is that of purpose. Having purpose gives meaning to our lives, making work a joyful experience versus a daily grind.
That’s one thing we all have in common in our industry – the gift of life’s purpose. In my eleven years at the NANP, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with hundreds of holistic nutrition students and professionals, all of whom have a deep passion and commitment to our profession. You are driven to do the work you do, driven to learn all you can, and driven to share that knowledge to help others reach their health goals.
So, how do you take that drive one step further? How do you share what you know not only with your clients, but also with your fellow practitioners? We’ve given this question a lot of thought here at the NANP... how can we facilitate the exchange of ideas among our members? Janet Ludwig, PhD, and member of our Board of Directors came up with the perfect answer – a Poster Session at our next annual conference.
“What’s a Poster Session?” you ask. It’s an allocated time and space at the conference for posters to be displayed, where authors can discuss their work with attendees. A poster is a summary of your research or creative project, presented in a visually engaging way that highlights the content and context of your academic or professional work.
Here’s what’s really exciting... not only will you be able to share your poster and discuss your work with your peers, but you’ll also have the privilege of getting your abstract published in the conference program, and on the NANP website in perpetuity. Peer reviewed, publicly presented, AND published – a win, win, win!
Now, close your eyes, and take a deep cleansing breathe. Do you feel it? Is the Hand firmly planted on your head, directing you to start pulling together your poster session ideas? If so, don’t ignore it! We know you’re out there doing amazing work. Why not share it with others in our field and beyond?
I say to you what I said to my dear young friend, “Don’t sell yourself short. Be courageous and make it happen!” We’re here to help you, so click here to get more information about Poster Sessions, how to put a Poster together, and how to submit your abstract. The deadline for submissions is February 1, 2019, so you have plenty of time to send in a phenomenal proposal. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Your partner in holistic nutrition,
Nicole Hodson, NC, BCHNTM
Executive Director
P.S. Be sure to watch the webinar with Janet, where she explains Poster Sessions and answers questions that will help you develop the perfect abstract!