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A Story of Passion and Perseverance: Meet Beppe Gambetta

How did an Italian guitarist from Genoa come to be invited to play bluegrass at a Czechoslovakian folk festival?  I wondered this as I enjoyed the diverse and captivating music of Beppe Gambetta at a house concert recently. As his music and story unfolded, I understood: Passion and Perseverance. 

He read a story from his pandemic memoir that he kept trying to break in by calling the United States from pay phones constantly, as he said, like a religious group is known to keep knocking on doors. He was spending $10.00 a minute until a US medical student gave him a tip to hack the pay phones.  When I bought his book, he shared that his passion for acoustic flat-picking was sparked when he was 17 and heard eventual multi-Grammy winner Doc Watson on the radio. I read later that after many gigs, it was in his late twenties that he set his goal of becoming a professional musician.

What might you have a passion to do that you have been putting off from fear or lack of discipline.  Or perhaps you’ve not committed yet wholeheartedly. Or are you getting discouraged from lack of success or others lack of support?

Below is some inspiration about perseverance from an excerpt of the dedication of Beppe’s book, Declarations of Love; Unexpected encounters, passions, music and recipes to reunite us:

“This book is dedicated to those who have supported me over the years and, paradoxically, also to those who did not believe in me and thus gave me the stubbornness and dedication which has led me on a journey searching for and discovering new outlets for my art.”

Beppe Gambetta

It’s ok to not have a passion and maybe just admire and support folks who do, whether they are artists, entrepreneurs or adventurers….or all three.  I did by purchasing Beppe’s book.

For more information on this international acoustic guitarist who blends Italian folk music, bluegrass, and jazz: https://beppegambetta.com/

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Persistence – Book Excerpt

The following is an excerpt from my multi-award winning book, Help Wanted: An A to Z Guide to Cope with the Ups and Downs of the Job Search. For more information and to order: https://karenscareercoaching.com/help-wanted/ For 10 complimentary excerpts that you are free to share: https://karenscareercoaching.com/help-wanted-free-excerpts/

“Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.”

Julie Andrews

It can be hard to keep going when you’ve submitted endless applications and had dozens of networking meetings, with no final success. Sometimes we do need to regroup and evaluate what we can do differently.

To get to that one offer, you may simply need to send out one more application or make one more call. Remind yourself that people do get jobs, even those with barriers to employment. Seek out people and stories that give you hope and energy to persist. Grit is a trait attributed to success.

Many inventors, writers, and dreamers were rejected or failed dozens or hundreds of times before getting their “yes.” Among them are Walt Disney, Steven Spielberg, Dr. Suess, and J.K. Rowling. You are in good company. Keep at it. Try a new angle. Look for a good fit. Employers are looking to fill jobs. It only takes one. Then help someone else.

Affirmation: I persist with grit and rise to the occasion.

C 2022, Pittsburgh, PA. Karen Litzinger. Permission granted to share with this complete notation. For information about Help Wanted: An A to Z Guide to Cope with the Ups and Downs of the Job Search and about Karen’s career coaching and speaking: www.KarensCareerCoaching.com

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Create More Joy

With all that is going on in the world, it is hard sometimes to allow joy.  Feeling joy in dark times can feel selfish or bring guilt.  Feeling joy while in the job search can seem unrealistic.  Yet joy is helpful for a full and healthy life.

Joy is one of the topics in my book Help Wanted: An A to Z Guide to Cope with the Ups and Downs of the Job Search.  Upon rereading, I see that everything except the first sentence of that page is related broadly to life, not just the search.  This brief inspirational reading is the previous blog on this site, and I hope you will read and share.

Joy is my “Word of the Year.”  I chose it because I tend to focus more on work than play, doing rather than being.  During a spiritual Akashic records reading, I was encouraged to add more joy to my life.  What would that be, I wondered?  I love my work, but not sure I would say it brings me “joy”. I like to walk my dog in the park, but part of that is for the good health of both of us.  I feel joy when dancing a couple times a year at the Baja Grill, but my morning dance is more about keeping my spirit and body healthy.

“Joy is an intermezzo of gratitude that interrupts the routine motion of life.”

— Lewis B. Smedes in How Can It Be All Right When Everything Is All Wrong?

Some views are that joy simply springs forth in an unexpected way.  My focus is on noticing and creating joy each day. I wondered if I could do that. I think we can. My belief is that gratitude and mindfulness are the sparks of joy.  Each morning I say my new Joy affirmations which include: “I experience joy by noticing and choosing it.” In the mirror behind me I glimpse my white twinkle lights and say, “those bring me joy.”  In terms of creating joy, I set a goal this year of going to more comedy shows and nights out dancing, specifically 8 (for the year number, 2+0+2+4). One down and two scheduled!

My other affirmation is “I spread joy.”  Besides my goal of spreading joy by acts or words of kindness, I believe that my feeling joy will have a positive affect on people around me and even the planet.

What joy might you notice today, right now?  Look around you.  The sunshine, an interesting cloud formation, a favorite picture, a soft blanket, your loved ones?  What joy can you create for yourself today or this week?  What joy can you spread?