Here are some common Malay proverbs. As you can see, many are universal enough that we even have English equivalents.
Incremental efforts do make a difference as the benefits accumulate.
A little effort in time makes a hill, and a thread woven eventually becomes cloth. Tis better to suffer in the beginning for the pleasure that comes later. Still water runs deep. Never take for granted a quiet person, for he may have qualities that belie his quiet nature. Like the bamboo and the river bank, and like the fingernail and the flesh beneath, each is dependent on the other for their mutual survival.