Kila kazi kubwa katika maisha huhitaji kufanyika kwa hatua ndogo, siku baada ya siku. 

Je, unajua methali zingine zinazofanana na hii au zinazotoa dhana hiyohiyo? 

Msemo huu unakumbusha shairi liitwalo "Vitu Vidogo" na Julia Abigail Fletcher Carney: 

Julia Carney alitunga shairi hili mwaka wa 1845 darasani akiwa mwanafunzi darasani -- na alipewa dakika 10 tu kuliandika!

Maana yake, afadhali kuridhika na ulicho nacho, badala ya kuiweka hatarini kwa ajili ya kupata kitu kubwa zaidi.

 Methali hii ni ya zamani sana. Chanzo cha methali hii ni kitabu cha kale kiitwacho  "Hadithi ya Ahikar." (Kinajulikana pia kama "Methali za Ahiqar.")

Kitabu hiki kinasimulia hadithi ya mshauri wa wafalme wa kale wa Ashuru na Misri. Inadhaniwa kuwa hadithi hii ilitungwa takribani 600 KK, na kuna nakala iliyochapishwa mwaka wa 500 KK. 

Methali karibu na hii kutoka nchi mbalimbali:
French:

Japanese

Italian

Mnaonaje -- methali hii ni ushauri mzuri? Ni bora kuridhika na kitu kinachopatikana kwa hakika, ama kutafuta kitu bora zaidi kisicho na hakika?

Today's proverb is often used in Swahili to describe a person who makes a mistake that could have been foreseen and suffers negative consequences... like the truck driver in this picture from Oxfordshire, UK. Regardless of what your parents taught you (or failed to teach you), you will eventually have to confront the harsh realities of life and learn from experience.
See also: If a child cries for a razor, give it to him (Mtoto akilia wembe, mpe)

He who is not taught by his parents is taught by the world. (Asofunzwa na wazazi, hufunzwa na ulimwengu)
Here's a poem by the poet Akilimali Snow-White about this proverb. (My translation from the original Swahili)

In the age they fooled me, my old folks in raising me,
I failed to learn the new movements of the world.
Today I please myself, to the people of the world, listen:
He who is not taught by his parents, is taught by the world.

I couldn’t have done any work without humbling myself before them,
Obeying to flatter them, then to serve them,
Even when I pleased them, they taught me with intention,
He who is not taught by his parents, is taught by the world.

Now I can speak European languages without difficulty,
like English and others too,
With effort I learn, and even they have raised me.
He who is not taught by his parents, is taught by the world.

I can converse without blemish,
And lead amidst evil, removing the blemish,
In the end the place pleases, one step towards harmony,
He who is not taught by his parents, is taught by the world.

There is nowhere I have overlooked, without investigation,
All sides examined, knowledge I have taken,
I even know how to sell products and buy,
He who is not taught by his parents, is taught by the world.

The amount which I have learned, not a little by fumbling,
I am pleasing where I come from, I employ good work
It’s hard to scorn, how it raises me,
He who is not taught by his parents, is taught by the world.

It’s not right to ignore what you don’t know
Try to investigate, and then analyze,
When your intention is tightened, you can’t fail to know a thing,
He who is not taught by his parents, is taught by the world.

The tasks I taught myself, my father didn’t know
He didn’t know English, or selling and buying,
but only praising oneself, that was when I, the child, knew,
He who is not taught by his parents, is taught by the world. 

I give more for you, you all who helped me,
All of you who’ve taught me, Lord give you health
God fill you all with happiness, and return goodness to you,
He who is not taught by his parents, is taught by the people of the world.
- Diwani ya Akilimali

What do you think about this poem? What does it mean? Can you improve the translation?

Fikeni E. M. K. Senkoro (1988) wrote of this poem (my translation):

na Magreth Lazaro Mafie 🇹🇿
🏆 Shindano la Insha ya Methali 
🥉 Mshindi wa Tatu

Ni mara ngapi umesikia Mchumia juani hulia kivulini? Hii ni methali ya kiswahili (kibantu) yenye maana ya kuwatia moyo watu katika shughuli mbalimbali wanazozifanya Kila siku wawe na Imani kuwa ipo siku watayafurahia matunda ya kazi yao. 

Methali hii huwapa watu nguvu, bidii, moyo, ujasiri, tumaini na weledi katika kufanya kazi. Mfanyakazi huamini kuwa baada ya kazi ngumu zenye surubu basi huleta mavuno mazuri yenye kumfanya astareheke kivulini akila matunda ya kazi yake. Shairi lifuatalo linaonesha kwa namna gani mchumia juani huwa katika majukumu ya Kila siku.

Bwana mmoja alikuwa mkulima. Maisha yake yote alitumia katika kilimo. Hivyo kupendeza kwake kulikuwa mara chache. Watu kijijini kwake walimuita mkulima stadi. Alijenga nyumba kwa kuuza sehemu ya mazao yake, alisomesha wanae kwa kilimo.

Bwana huyu alikuwa mtu mwenye bidii alijifunza siku zote kanuni za mkulima bora, hivyo kadri muda unavyokwenda mashamba yake alivuna mazao mengi. Watu wengi walistaajabu sana kuona mabadiliko makubwa ndani ya familia yake. Aliwekeza vitu vingi kijijini kwake, mashamba, nyumba, maduka na mifugo mingi vilitoka shambani.

Watu wengi walikuja kujichukulia hekima kwa mkulima stadi. Siku zote aliwaambia "Mchumia juani, hulia kivulini. Jembe limeniheshimisha kijijini Mimi na familia yangu. Maisha yangu sasa yanakwenda barabara kwa hakika niko kivulini nafurahia matunda ya kazi yangu ya juani. Mimi leo kijana wa mkulima huyo stadi najivunia malezi, uwajibikaji wake kwa sababu kazi za juani leo zimetufanya tupumzike na kula kivulini. Kwa hakika maana ya mchumia juani inaonekana kwa vitendo. Bidii yako ndilo jua lako na kivuli ndiyo matunda ya bidii yako.

Hadithi hii inashibishwa na hadithi ilee ya "Mabala the Farmer" yaani Mabala Mkulima iliyoandikwa na Richard S. Mabala(1989). 

Mabala alikuwa mfanyakazi bandarini Kisha akapunguzwa hivyo akachagua kurudi kijijini Morogoro. Mabala alikuwa mzembe,mlevi na mbishi. Mabala alikwenda shambani na galoni ya pombe alikunywa na kulala, alipoamka alimwongelesha mkewe lakni hakujibiwa zaidi ya  sauti ya jembe tik-tok, tik-tok .

Mabala alikuwa mbishi, alimwagilia sukari shambani alifikiri ni mbolea, lakni mwisho alibadilika na kuwa mkulima stadi akawa mchumia juani ili familia yake ije kulia kivulini. Je wewe unahisi Mabala ni mchumia juani? Ndani ya familia au kwenye jamii mkulima stadi anakupa picha gani?

Mwisho hadithi hii kutoka katika methali ya mchumia juani hulia kivulini hutuonyesha dira njema katika kila tunachokifanya katika maisha ya kila siku. Huku methali kama Subira yavuta kheri, Mgaa na Upwa hali wali mkavu zote hufanana kimaudhui, zipo katika kuipa jamii nguvu na matumaini kwa kila jambo lifanyikalo katika malengo.