Steem4nigeria Accelerator Contest Week 102:That True Saying.

INTRODUCTION

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The Proverb I Believe True – My Own Experience
For life, there are plenty proverbs elders have used to guide us. Some sound like ordinary talk, but if you hold on to them well, they become a compass for your journey. From childhood till now, I have heard many sayings, but one stands out the most. It is the one that still pushes me whenever life feels heavy.

What is that/those Proverbs or adages you believe to be true and how did you get to hear or know about it?

For me, there is one proverb that has guided my steps since I was small: “It is little by little a bird builds its nest.”

The first time I heard this saying was from my father. That evening, after rain had fallen, everywhere was cool, and we sat on the veranda. My father was sipping palm wine while I was munching roasted corn. Then he pointed at one iroko tree where birds were flying back and forth, each carrying twigs. He just looked at me and said: “My son, don’t forget this lesson — it is little by little a bird builds its nest.”

That day it sounded like ordinary talk, but the picture stuck in my head. As I grew, the meaning started showing itself clearly in my life.

Why do you believe that saying is true? Do you know of or have any experience that confirms this proverb or adage?

I believe this proverb is true because life doesn’t rush anybody’s gift. Everything of value takes time. If you want to build a house, you cannot put all the blocks at once. You will first lay the foundation, then block by block until the mansion stands.

Even the Bible itself doesn’t shy away from the same message: “Do not despise the days of little beginnings.” It carries the same spirit as this proverb.

When I first entered university, I almost drowned with the plenty coursework. I looked at it like a mountain without a top. But when I began to take it little by little — one topic today, one past question tomorrow — I started seeing progress. In the end, it was the steady steps that helped me survive MEE 322 and the other difficult courses.

The same thing happened when I first started hustling in crypto. If you saw the capital I held, you would laugh. It was not even up to someone’s subscription money. But I still started. One USDT here, two USDT there, losing small, gaining small. But every attempt added one feather to my nest. Today, I’m still growing, but I can smile and say that proverb is the truth.

Do you know of or have any experience that confirms this proverb or adage?

Yes, I have plenty. One December, I followed my uncle to the farm in the village. The bush we were supposed to clear was as big as a stadium. As I stood looking at it, my body felt weak. I asked my uncle, “How are we going to finish all this?” He just laughed and said: “It is one cutlass that cuts a tree. We will start small.”

Truly, that was how it happened. We cleared corner by corner. Some days rain chased us, some days body pains almost finished us. But after two weeks, the whole land was open and ready for planting. That day, I remembered my father’s voice: “It is little by little a bird builds its nest.”

Another example: in secondary school, mathematics almost destroyed my spirit. I used to look at equations like Chinese writing. But one teacher encouraged me: “Do one question per day, don’t rush.” I followed him. One by one, the subject began to open up. During WAEC, I shocked myself by getting a good grade. If not for the little steps, I would have given up.

Even relationships and hustles show me the same lesson: progress is not magic in one day — patience crowns effort.

Do you think the relevance of this proverb will be preserved in the next few generations to come?

Yes, I strongly believe this proverb will still hold meaning for generations yet unborn.

The world is fast now — internet is sharp, crypto pumps, AI makes people think of shortcuts. But no matter the speed of technology, human life still runs on patience. If someone is learning coding or blockchain today, he cannot know everything in one week. It is small knowledge here and there that will gather until he becomes strong.

Marriage too cannot be strong in one day. Love grows from sacrifice, forgiveness, understanding — twig upon twig. Even a business idea cannot become an empire overnight. It needs the same process of steady growth.

So I believe even my grandchildren will still need this proverb. As long as human beings keep chasing dreams, this wisdom cannot die. It will remain evergreen like the iroko tree.

Final Thoughts

This proverb is not just words for me. It is a compass that shows me the road whenever I feel lost. Anytime I want to give up, I remind myself that it is not in one day a bird finishes its nest. It is twig today, feather tomorrow, until the nest becomes strong enough to hold life.

My advice for anybody reading is this: don’t rush your destiny. Take it step by step, no matter how small. The small of today will join with the small of tomorrow until it becomes the big thing you dream of.

Like another proverb says: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” And in our simple way, we put it as: “It is little by little a bird builds its nest.”