Most women would agree that the journey to self-love and self-acceptance can be a bumpy one, especially in a world that continues to impose narrow beauty standards.
What with the obsession with thigh gaps, long legs, flat tummies, perfect teeth, perfect skin and even 'yellowbones' -- many have gone to extreme lengths to try achieve these beauty standards.
Then enter body positive activist Lesego Legobane AKA Thickleeyonce (24) -- whose recent four-word clap-back at a body-shamer has gone viral.
And it's not the first or the second time Legobane has had to deal with trolls.
"For a while, I had to fake it. I had to fake that confidence. One can't just wake up and say 'From today, I'm a confident person.' It's a long journey...I faked 'til it eventually became real," the plus-size model and blogger told Destiny magazine.
It's this confidence that has inspired countless South African women to accept and love their curves.
These two tweets sum it up best:
This ish hurts me so much cause my ex put up a similar meme on his social media while we were dating. This clapback is healing lol!
— Honey Badger (@ahh_Wande) September 21, 2017
So, thank you ThickLeeyonce -- your living your life boldly and confidently has taught us these five crucial lessons:
1. To be comfortable in our skin because our bodies are enough.
To look at ourselves naked in the mirror and love all bits of what we see and even confidently take selfies.
2. To see our curves with a new set of eyes because they are beautiful and we can flatteringly dress for them.
Plus we can wear whatever we want.
3. Taking care of our bodies is a great thing -- even if we are curvy.
This is because the benefits of exercising and eating clean are not just and primarily about losing weight.
4. You continually teach us that our being worthy of being loved has nothing to do with our body size
So we should never settle.
5. You've taught us how to clap back with class and grace
So, thank you, ThickLeeyonce, thank you.