Be content with your lot; one cannot be first in everything.
It pays to be prepared.
An oak and a reed were arguing about their strength. When a strong wind came up, the reed avoided being uprooted by bending and leaning with the gusts of wind. But the oak stood firm and was torn up by the roots.
Facts speak plainer than words
It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds.
Appearances are often deceiving.