A Woman Makes a Plan: Advice for a Lifetime of Adventure, Beauty, and Success Paperback – December 29, 2020

Put politics aside. Read this book about a woman who has had many challenges, but has never given up or let them get her down for long. It's a story about grit, courage, the reality of life's bumps and bruises, and what to do when challenges present themselves. I'm sorry I probably won't ever meet her, but I find her a most inspiring women.

I am halfway through this book and am reading it as I am going through a life transition. It's interesting how we come across things that bring us encouragement and give us joy and insight exactly when we need it. This book does just that for me. How? Maybe Musk is relatable--something I did not expect. I knew the book would be interesting, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it's a page-turner. I found myself hurting for her at times, rooting for her, and more importantly rooting for myself thanks to the bits of advice in its pages. It is not a self-help book, nor is it written as such, even though she gives helpful tips. It's her experiences, her strength and determination in the face of adversity (and she doesn't hold back about what she went through) that are beautifully uplifting. The book's style is anecdotal. Maye takes you through a journey and shows you the importance of never giving up. If I'm feeling this way half-way through, I can't imagine how happy I'll be when I finish the book. It's definitely worth a read, and I am recommending it to my friends as well.

Loved this book.As a an attorney who practiced a bit of divorce law, I would highly recommend this book.Easy to read, inspirational and relatable.A must to read.

An incredibly inspiring book about being a woman in an oppressive environment, building a career, motherhood, being a single mother, staying relevant and productive at any age, and never giving up.

There are a number of inspirational women ‘of a certain age’ (baby boomers) I follow on social media. One of them is Canadian-born Maye Musk, a 71-year-old iconic fashion model and influencer. Musk is as smart as she is beautiful. She’s written a new book titled A Woman Makes A Plan, Advice For a Lifetime of Adventure, Beauty, and Success, and it’s full of inspirational stories and lessons learned in her colourful life.Here are just a few of her credentials:Registered Dietician with double Masters’ DegreesFormer Chair of Consulting Dieticians of Ontario and Past President of Consulting Dieticians of CanadaDomestic abuse survivorRaised her three children as a single mother with little incomeMother of Elon Musk, Tesla and space entrepreneur , Kimbal who owns a chain of restaurants, and daughter Tosca, a producer of romance movies.Born in Canada, Maye moved with her parents and siblings, including a twin sister, to South Africa when the children were very young. They lived an adventurous life including annual camping trips across the desert in search of a lost city. While attending university in South Africa, she was talked into entering a beauty contest. The prize for the winner included introductory modeling lessons. This exposure gave her not only the confidence to pursue modeling as a second, part-time job, but provided extra income needed throughout her life.Pressured into an early marriage with a man she suspected would not make a good husband, she produced three children in three years. Her husband turned out to be controlling and abusive. After suffering at his hands for several years she finally managed to extricate herself from the marriage but never felt truly free until she moved back to Canada where her children wanted to pursue their education.It’s easy to assume someone who looks like Maye Musk was always slim, beautiful and affluent. This was certainly not the case. At one time she weighed 205 lbs. and more often than not she was broke trying to raise her children herself. But, as they say, those experiences that don’t destroy us can serve to make us stronger and Musk is happy to share what she’s learned along the way. She’s worked hard to create the life she now enjoys.In fact, Maye and I share a lot of the same philosophical ideas:Do not stay in a toxic situation. It’s not easy to get out, but make a plan and make it happen. “No matter how hard it is, you have to get through it. You have to get out.”Ask for what you want. “Some women can be shy, or lacking in confidence, or scared of rejection, so they don’t want to ask for what they want. Men don’t seem to have that problem. They think they’re fabulous and deserve a better job, a raise, more benefits, the corner office with windows, even if they’re obnoxious and incompetent. We’ve seen that way too often.”Remove food triggers from your kitchen. When there are no cookies or candies in your pantry, then you can’t binge.You don’t have to be stylish to dress well. You just need a stylish friend (to help and advise you).Networking is essential in business and your personal life in order to grow.Getting older is a good thing. “Every decade of my life has been better than the last.”My only complaint with Maye Musk’s book is that it was too brief. Her story is amazing and I wish she’d shared even more of her experiences and advice. I highly recommend A Woman Makes A Plan. I’d rate it 8 out 10 and only wish there’d been more content and more pictures.

I did enjoy reading the book; however, I think that it was mistitled as I really was never sure what her plan was. The author seemed to jump around a lot.