The last T-SQL Tuesday of this year is hosted by Jason Brimhall – one of my long-time friends in the SQL community. Jason’s topic is ‘To influence and to be influenced’ – call out times when something you did influenced someone , and you were in turn influenced by something that person said or did. It is a positive way to end the year on a tone of gratitude to people who have influenced you – and it is doubly positive/uplifting to see/hear of what you have done to other people too. 

What I did to inspire – This year was a big one for me because I became a published author with my first book – Data Professionals at Work. My book is a collection of stories of people in the data industry – their journeys, careers and choices they made along the way. I had a great time putting it together, and I did not expect anything more than a ‘thank you’ (which I got) from all the people who were part of it. I was, however, tremendously moved by how big it was for some people – particularly those who had never had their name in a book before. I saw them post proudly on social media about being featured in a book, and their loved ones/friends respond on how proud they were. It made me feel tremendously humbled and thankful to have done it. I was also very humbled by how many celebrities at the PASS summit wanted my book – some even with autographs on it. These were people I have been following for years, and had many books/awards to their credit. 
What I was inspired by – I always attend the board Q&A when am at PASS summit, as am interested in the direction the organization is going and the answers they have for many people all over the world. Sometimes the answers have left me feeling good, and other times it has been lack lustre. During the past few years I’ve seen an increase in arguments and debates, and even watched people leave openly angry/unhappy and so on. This year was a good year – exceptionally good, in fact. Questions were posed in civil, polite but candid ways – and answered to-the-point by everyone up there. The meeting ended on a hugely positive note (I don’t mean to say everyone there was happy – there were things people were not happy about but the atmosphere was one of civility and optimism). I was inspired the people on the board who made it happen. It is not an easy task, being there – and they are all volunteers with jobs/families and responsibilities like the rest of us. They were able to put on a great show and a create a civil environment with positive interaction. It was inspiring. 

Thank you Jason, for a good topic to finish the year with. Happy 2019 to all.