But You Can Be

I have been honored to have been a part of this group of most excellent people. As with all good things my time as an MVP has come to an end. With my departure that means someone new will be awarded, or maybe someone who had left the program will be coming back. Ether way, I am making room for someone else who is in the running for the October cycle.

Nothing Has Changed

Yet everything has. My life has taken a turn and I have to chose how to balance my life. It isn’t just about doing SQL Server stuff anymore. I’ve got a lot more responsibility and a lot more to work on and learn about other than SQL Server.

It’s A Balancing Act

Joe Webb has spoken and written about that balancing act. He stunned me when he made the choice to back off from all of his community work. He also shared with me that he wasn’t going to pursue the MVP for a seventh year. I just couldn’t fathom why someone would just give up. Now I understand, he wasn’t giving up. He was making a choice. It’s easy to try and cling to something like the MVP award. There is no doubt it isn’t just the prestige of being able to call yourself a current MVP. There is the access to the SQL Server team, all the perks that Microsoft gives you and other software companies give you too. To me though, I just couldn’t, in good conscience, put my self forward for consideration this year. Even though it would mean losing out on some great stuff it isn’t worth keeping someone else from enjoying those same benefits who have worked for it and deserve a chance at the award.

Making Way For You

I’ve written what it meant to me to be nominated and finally to be awarded. I’ve talked about the fact that this is an award, not a guarantee for your hard work and evangelizing SQL Server. I’ve been crushed when being passed over. I’ve been overjoyed when I was recognized. Now, I’m a bit sad, but hopeful that maybe this will be YOUR YEAR to be overjoyed. If it is I will be overjoyed with you. My only words of advice are don’t ever let something like the MVP award define who you are. You will be awarded because of who you are now, not to be awarded and made into something special, that part has already happened.