Inspiring Women Magazine May 2023

only saw the thing that was on my mind.
Unfortunately, I hurt many people before
I realized that I needed to practice the
Golden Rule daily in all circumstances with
all people. Time and aging have their benefits.
I have improved.
• z Exercise Hope. Hope is a VERB and a skill
set. Augustine of Hippo said, “Hope has two
beautiful daughters; their names are
Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things
are, and Courage to see that they don’t
remain as they are.” Hope starts with the
belief that things can be better, and we all
have a role in making that better happen.
Hope is always in motion.
personal or corporate, helps to see how
close one is hitting the target and if impact
is taking place.
As we celebrate endings that bring about
beginnings, I wonder how effective these
stepping stones would be for an organization
such as FAWCO to continue to strengthen its
foundation, prepare for the unexpected, and
empower its members to live victoriously when
change is just around the next corner.
• z Measure results. Results are where
internal and external change pop like a
firecracker. It is the ultimate accountability
partner. In Change Your World, John Maxwell
and Rob Hoskins propose a positive change
rubric: Discover, Design, Deploy, and
Document. This combination, whether
2. Set your priorities. Priorities may be big or
small, but knowing them and creating intentions
around them is key. In order to keep moving
ahead, I have found that committing to activities
the evening prior is extremely beneficial and
creates order and balance that keeps me
moving in the right direction.
3. Be honest about opportunities and
obstacles. YES! So often, we have high integrity
when it comes to serving others, but not to
ourselves. This is a daily discipline of review
of self.
Are we following through on what we say we
want and is important to us, and are we
delivering in the relationships that matter most?
• z Commit yourself to ongoing learning,
improvement, and development. Change on
the outside is the invitation for change within.
I miss this common sense invitation often,
instead bucking reality. Mistakes have been
my friend in this process as I keep polishing
my skill sets by picking myself up and moving
on. Being teachable is one of my values.
• z Engage in activities that contribute to
the cause. Whether as an individual or an
organization, focus is imperative so the way is
not lost in the process. Having clear, defined
goals or aspirations and a structure that
allows for continual contribution requires
rigorous commitment.
• z Communicate effectively. Francis
of Assisi said, “Use words if necessary.” I
will always be a student when it comes
to communication.
• z Move from good intentions to good
actions. It is ironic that we judge others by
what they do and ourselves by our intentions.
Principle number 3 helps me to assess daily
whether or not my actions are a good
reflection of my hidden intentions.
• z Add value to people every day. My
“Saved my Life” mentor of my 20s would
always repeat, “People are more important
than things.” I was dumbfounded at that
statement until I began to see how often I
failed to see the person in front of me and
Photos courtesy of Annelize Smith, FAWCO member.
Danielle Kuznetsov currently lives in
Speyer, Germany, with her husband Alex.
While in this season of transition, she is
serving the local Russian/Ukrainian
community, maintaining family ties with
kids and grandkids, and helping clients
grow into their best selves. Danielle
enjoys traveling with her husband,
reading, investing in and developing
young mothers, and pursuing God in
prayer. She is a member of the
Heidelberg International Women’s Club.
She can be reached at:
Kuznetsov.danielle@gmail.com
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