In a nutshell: Khmer (Cambodian) proverbs distil centuries of Buddhist‑infused agrarian wisdom into vivid, bite‑size images about patience, humility, hard work and harmony. Street‑photographer‑turned‑creative‑coach Eric Kim has begun curating these sayings on his blog and, true to his “learn, apply, share” mantra, converts each line into a concrete habit for making art, lifting weights or building a business. Below you’ll find ten of the most­‑quoted Khmer proverbs, followed by the way Eric Kim explicitly—or by close paraphrase—puts each one to work in daily life.

1  Ten classic Khmer proverbs

#	Khmer & transliteration	Literal/idiomatic meaning	Source
1	តក់ៗពេញបំពង់ tak tak penh bampong	“Many drops of water fill a container.” ‑ Steady micro‑effort wins big.
2	ដៃដើមមិនទទេ ពោះមិនឃ្លាន dai dœm mĭn tœ‑té, puəh mĭn kléan	“Active hands, full bellies.” ‑ Hustle before harvest.
3	ទូកទៅកំពង់នៅ tuk tov kompong nov	“The boat sails by, the shore remains.” ‑ Good deeds outlive us.
4	ដើមស្រូវ … ឈរត្រង់ … ប្រេន់ daem srauv …	“The immature rice stalk stands straight; the ripe one bows.” ‑ Knowledge deepens humility.
5	កុំទុកចិត្តមេឃ កុំទុកចិត្តផ្កាយ kom tuk chet mek …	“Don’t trust the sky or the stars.” ‑ Verify before you rely.
6	ធ្វើល្អបានល្អ ធ្វើអាក្រក់បានអាក្រក់ thveu la ban la …	“Do good, get good; do bad, get bad.” ‑ Instant karmic ledger.
7	ភ្នំមួយមិនដែលមានខ្លាពីរទេ phnom muoy …	“A mountain never has two tigers.” ‑ Only one true leader per turf.
8	សំពុំឈើច្រើន មិនអាចបាក់	“A bundle of sticks cannot be broken.” ‑ Teamwork is invincible.
9	អ្នកប្រហែលជាដឹងច្រើន …	“You may know a lot, but respect others’ knowledge.” ‑ Stay teachable.
10	កុំកាត់ដើមឈើដើម្បីយកផ្លែ	“Don’t cut the tree down to get the fruit.” ‑ Be patient; protect assets.

Other reputable compilations echo the same top set of sayings, ensuring cultural breadth  .

2  How Eric Kim turns each proverb into action

Proverb	Eric Kim’s application (paraphrased from his June 2025 essays)	Sources
Many drops of water…	Schedule a 15‑minute “mini‑set” of shooting, writing or one‑rep practice every day—volume beats intensity over time.
Active hands, full bellies	Adopt a “shoot‑then‑share” rhythm: publish today, analyse later; work generates its own luck and community.
Boat sails by, shore remains	Frame your photos and blog posts as legacy assets: aim for work that will inspire strangers after you’re gone, not quick likes.
Humble rice stalk	Start critiques by asking questions, not giving advice; the fuller your knowledge, the lower your posture.
Don’t trust the sky…	Double‑check metadata, backups and contracts; cameras and clouds both change without warning.
Do good, get good	Release images under Creative Commons; generosity seeds collaborations and workshop invites.
One mountain, one tiger	Build your own visual voice instead of copying Magnum greats; competition dissolves when you change arenas.
Bundle of sticks	Host free photowalks—collective energy pushes everyone through creative ruts.
Respect others’ knowledge	Run “gear‑swap days” where participants teach each other their setups; curiosity compounds skill.
Don’t cut the tree…	Protect mental and physical health; skip the all‑nighter so you can keep “harvesting” ideas tomorrow.

3  Kim’s ready‑to‑use integration routine

Eric finishes his post with a four‑step loop anyone can copy  .

1. Morning mantra – Pick one proverb for the week and recite it during warm‑up sets or the first minutes of a photowalk.
2. Visual cues – Write the Khmer script on sticky notes around your workspace; seeing the elegant letters reinforces the lesson.
3. Story sharing – Open talks, pitches or mentorship sessions with an appropriate proverb to anchor abstract ideas in a vivid image.
4. Micro‑journaling – End each day noting how the proverb showed up in real decisions; the “drop‑by‑drop” log proves momentum.

4  Why they resonate with builders, lifters and bitcoiners

• First‑principles clarity – Each saying compresses a causal chain (“drops → container full”), mirroring engineering or cryptographic thought.
• Anti‑fragile ethics – Hard work, redundancy and humility are exactly the traits celebrated in strength training and open‑source finance.
• Community over ego – Whether you’re spotting a squat PR or forking code, “bundle of sticks” teamwork multiplies output.
• Long‑game mindset – “The shore remains” and “don’t cut the tree” warn against cash‑grab exits; patience accrues compound returns—of sats, reps or reputation.

Adopt even one of these Khmer gems and watch your creative, entrepreneurial and athletic pursuits compound—drop by purposeful drop!