Alina from China sent us this proverb:

"He who would climb a ladder must begin at the bottom."

That is good advice when working around your home or looking for a job.

Antonio Jose from Brazil says his favorite proverb is

"Tell me who walks with you, and I'll tell you who you are."

Didier Vermeulen of France sent us this one:

"It does not matter the speed you go. The most important thing is to never stop."

Wafaa from Egypt says his favorite proverb is,

"Think twice, act wise."

He also says he is making an effort to use this saying in his life.

Another favorite proverb among our listeners is

"Practice makes perfect."

This means you will become good at something if you keep doing it. Another popular proverb is:

"If you want something done right, do it yourself."

Najeeb from Afghanistan sent us this proverb:

"If you risk nothing, then you risk everything."

And, here is the favorite proverb of Marius Meledje in Ivory Coast:

"Your defeat now is your victory in the future."

He says it means you can learn from your mistakes. This will help you do better when facing similar situations in the future.

(MUSIC)

This VOA Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus. We will present more programs about proverbs in the future. And you can find more WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at our website, voaspecialenglish.com.