Steve Martin Young Struggles, Success & Goldilocks Principle

Steve Martin Young was born on August 14, 1945, in Waco, a small town in Texas, America. His parents were real state agents. His father was also interested in theatres and acting. He has an older sister Milinda.

Steve Martin Young lived a struggling life since childhood. He was thoughtful, studious and hard-working as a child who wants to do something remarkable in his life. 

He was always desperate to learn new things and meet new people in life.

Steve Martin Young Struggles

Steve Martin Young Struggles

Steve Martin Young had many imaginations. He used to see himself as a rich and honourable man who is writing scripts and showing his skills on stage.

He wanted to live a sumptuous life. 

Young Steve had dreams in his eyes and wings on his back. Problems were opportunities for him. He used his sufferings as a ladder and crossed every hurdle.

[Best Quotes By Steve Martin]

Steve Martin Young in Disneyland

  • It was the summer of 1955 when young Steve Martin was only 9 years old. Disneyland opened in a small town in California. He went there to ask for some odd jobs. At that time, there were no child labour laws. He bagged a part-time job there. 
  • The job required selling guidebooks and Disneyland maps to tourists. Young Steve Martin was happy with his first job. He used to sell them full-time on holidays and part-time on school days.
  • It was his first encounter with the outer world. This job helped him immensely in shaping his career and recognizing his talents. He enjoyed his work for three years between 1955 & 1958.
  • He used to meet so many different people with different attitudes and backgrounds. The ‘Steve Martin younger’ used to imitate their talking style, gesture and posture. 
  • This proved to be a blessing for his development as a stage artist and comedian. He had so many characters to imitate from his daily life.

Young Steve Martin As A Little Magician

  • During his work at Disneyland as a guidebook and Disney map seller, he frequented other shops to sell his products or to talk to them out of curiosity.
  • Among these shops was- Main Street Magic Shop. It was a magic shop where tricks were demonstrated to patrons. He got thrilled with magic tricks. 
  • Trying to influence his friends and neighbours with magical performances, he learned some tricks, jugglings, and balloon animals. Steve practised them hard for perfection. 
  • Young Steve Martin earned some tips by displaying these tricks on the floor. Tourists would watch and enjoy his performances and give him tips. It became his other source of income.
  • This magical display opened a new window for Steve Martin Young. He thought that he could earn much more by perfecting the art of performance with comical narrations. It gave birth to a new dimension of his life. 

Steve Martin Younger As A Stage Performer

  • Between the ages of 16 & 18, he thought that he had to become a comedian in his life. Now he has a career in front of him as a stage comedian and performer. 
  • He began giving stage shows as a comedian in pubs and bars. There, most people are drunk. Rather than enjoying his comedy timing and jokes, people used to yell and boo at him. 
  • These were early struggling days for him. He was not earning enough for these shows. He was surviving on tips. But these shows were giving him hope for the future and keeping him engaged with what he wanted to do.
  • He used to write his script. It improved him as a writer.
  • He began with a stage performance of 2 months and by the age of 16 he improved his performance duration to 5 minutes. When he finished his studies, he was performing on stage non-stop for 20 minutes.
  • He continued with his struggles for 15 more years with gradual improvement. At last, his hard work paid off he and his career took off. The young boy’s life begins to change.
  • Now people knew him and he could demand money for his performances. 
  • The day came in his life when he toured 85 cities in 90 days as a lead performer. People were crazy about his comedy and style. He became a household name.

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What Made Young Steve Martin So Optimistic & Hard Working?

Since his childhood days, young Steve Martin was very positive. He never shirked his responsibilities. He strived hard to learn new things and tricks. 

Initially, he sold guidebooks and Disney maps. Then he started performing for 2 minutes in restaurants. After 3 years of practice and passion, he began to act for 5 minutes. By the age of 19, his stage performances grew to 20 minutes.  

Steve experimented, adjusted and practised for the next levels. He kept on changing levels and improving in life. 

But the big question is what kept him going, what motivated and inspired him. For that, we have to understand the philosophy of the Goldilocks Rule.

Goldilocks Principle & Young Steve Martin Progress

Goldilocks analogy is taken from a 19th-century English drama named “Goldilocks and the three bears.” Goldilocks is the name of a young girl who tasted the porridge from three different bowls. 

She finds that porridge that is neither too hot nor too cold, but has just the right temperature is the tastiest.

It gave rise to the philosophy that humans prefer things which are in their “just the right amount” zone. 

What Is Goldilocks Principle?

We get motivated by things which are within our reach and we can do something about it.

The Goldilocks Principle states that humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities. Not too hard. Not too easy. Just right.

This kind of situation impels us to do more to get the desired result. 

When things are too easy, we get bored and don’t feel motivated enough to continue that work. Failures are not the main reason why we feel demotivated, rather lack of interest or boredom is the main reason behind our demotivation and lackadaisical performances. 

We jump from one activity to another for novelty and new results. It is also the reason why we can’t continue with any task for very long. 

When things are too tough, we feel demotivated in advance that we are not going to get the desired results. The slightest dip in motivation means we look for switching activities and don’t show consistency. 

Our success requires motivation, consistency and the right mindset. 

“Just Right” things are the real trigger for our wholehearted actions. 

In ‘Steve Martin Young’s life we see the Goldilocks rule apply cent per cent. 

He gradually scaled his stage performances from 2 minutes to 5 minutes to gradually 20 minutes over a span of years.

5 Lessons From Steve Martin Young Life?

When we scan the life of Steve Martin as a child, we observe some remarkable highlighted features. 

The best thing we can learn from him is how to face hurdles in life and overcome them. 

We are mentioning them here as they are lessons for all of us. 

1- Walk In The Fog

  • When the vision is not clear, things are hazy and you are not sure about the advancement, then moving ahead is a challenge. Mediocre people hesitate and stop. They rely on the mercy of others’ light to move ahead. They don’t dare to walk in the dark.
  • We see that young Steve was courageous at the age of 9. He didn’t know anything about his life journey, things were uncertain and the future was non-existent. Still, he showed his willingness to do something. When you do something then something happens to you, as happened in the case of young Martin. 
  • Walking in the fog or uncertainty is all about courage and self-belief. Don’t hesitate and move ahead in life. You will find your way. The best of life comes in the worst of times. Be ready to grab the opportunity. 

2- Actions Give Direction

  • When we know the direction, it means we have a plan and strategy. But it is not the case all the time. Sometimes we are not sure about anything. Whenever you find yourself in a confusing state, there is no clarity then taking action is the best solution. It shows your mental strength and gives momentum to your life.
  • We see in Steve’s early life that he performed magical tricks by learning them just for the sake of a new direction.    He discovered in him a talented stage performer and not a magician. When he took action he got his direction.
  • We must be ready to take action. It happens many times with all of us that we plan, readjust our planning, and make them fool-proof but never take action. We always think to make it even better and lose time with that idea and momentum of life. One big reason for our failures is not taking action when they are needed the most.

3- Keep On Learning & Improving

  • Your learning has a connection with your earning. When you keep on learning, you keep on building new ways for earning. It improves the overall course of your life. 
  • As we see in the case of young Steve Martin. He never stopped learning. He always learned new tricks and ways to progress in his life. He always believed in changing levels. From selling guidebooks to demonstrating magic tricks to stage performances, he never stopped.
  • What you don’t know, doesn’t help you in life. Learning expands your base. When you know more, you act more. You have more chances of demonstrating your skills and catching opportunities. Learn and improve in life.

4- Monetize Your Passion

  • Monetize your passion. It is a great idea. It can turn your fortune and give you success in life. When you make your career in what you love to do then you never get tired. The work becomes a joy for you. Suppose, you have a passion for acting and you become an actor, you would always enjoy your career and earn money. Moreover, you would always do better than others because you are passionate about your work. You feel energized and ecstatic doing them. 
  • Steve Martin Young Boy was passionate about showing performances. His passion developed in better ways when he decided to become a stage artist. He wrote his scripts and perform them in public places. This gave him satisfaction and money. He monetized his passion by writing scripts and giving stage shows.
  • Identify your skills, interests, and strengths and find ways to use them to generate income. You will always do better than others in life. You will be happier and merrier. 

5- Mastering The Art

  • Mastering art means knowing something better and deeper. When you know a particular thing beyond a basic understanding and you achieve expertise in them through dedication, practice, learning, hard work, and continuity, then you master that art. Becoming the ‘master of the art’ requires time, energy and purpose.
  • Young Steve mastered the art of script writing and stage performance. He became a stand-up comedian by mastering the skills of language, timing, mimicry and dialogue delivery. He gained proficiency by practising hard. 
  • Achieve a level of excellence and proficiency that sets you apart from others in your field. For that, you have to devote time, effort, and energy.

Takeaways From Young Steve Martin

  • Challenges of life are your friends. They are responsible for changing your circumstances.
  • I’ve heard lots of people lie to themselves but they never fool anyone
  • Your emotions follow your intent. If you want to write a comedy act, your mind will adjust to a new emotional state. 
  • When you dedicate yourself to purpose, success falls on you as a byproduct.
  • When you don’t show the courage to walk in the dark your night becomes longer. 

Steve Martin Young Story In Slideshow

Please share young Steve Martin’s life struggles and passions with your relatives and friends. It has many lessons for us. 

Maybe your friends and acquaintants require a little bit of motivation to propel their life. You can become a catalyst for them and bring a positive change in their lives. 

May God bless you. Amen.

Thank you.

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