A Woman Makes a Plan - Listen to What Elon Musk’s Mother Has to Say

A few things about Maye Musk

Many of us are no longer unfamiliar with the name Elon Musk, the man nicknamed the Iron Man of Silicon Valley, founder of Tesla, and one of the few who possess rocket recovery technology alongside the U.S., Russia, and China. He is a billionaire, a philanthropist, and a well-known genius.

But what many of us may not know is the name Maye Musk - his mother. She herself has lived an extraordinary, legendary life. Elon Musk also has two siblings: his brother Kimbal who runs The Kitchen, one of the highest-rated restaurant groups in America; and his sister Tosca, a filmmaker, screenwriter, and director in Hollywood. All three children are very successful - and all were raised by Maye Musk alone.

Many people wonder how she raised her children and instilled in them such precious foundations that all three became so successful. After reading the book featured in today’s video and understanding who she truly is, you will find your answer.

The book I want to share with you today is the memoir A Woman Makes a Plan by the incredibly resilient Maye Musk.

Anyone who has read this book knows her life was full of storms - especially a marriage that dragged her into misery as she endured nine years of domestic abuse. At age 31, she escaped her violent husband and became a penniless single mother. Yet despite everything, while raising three children, she earned two master’s degrees, returned to modeling after age 60, and even appeared on four billboards in Times Square, New York.

Today, at age 74, Maye Musk has become a global icon and a source of inspiration for millions. Despite her silver hair and age, her confidence and aura radiate stunning beauty. Her successful career and remarkable character show us that we can absolutely live a brilliant life without ever fearing age - the more we strive, the luckier we become.

Now let’s explore her resilient life and see what we can learn to create a better life for ourselves.

What Doesn’t Kill You Only Makes You Stronger

Before reading A Woman Makes a Plan, just hearing that Maye Musk is the mother of billionaire Elon Musk makes us easily assume she must have had a wonderful life.

But in reality, Maye Musk’s life was incredibly harsh - she endured many years of domestic violence. At 31, she walked away from that marriage and raised her three children alone.

Financial hardship forced her to move her kids through many cities across three countries, constantly scrambling to survive. During the hardest periods, she worked five jobs at once. It wasn’t until her 50s that she gradually stabilized her life, earning her master’s degree in nutrition and working as a dietitian, while still modeling part-time.

Every time she arrived in a new city, she had to start from zero. She faced countless difficulties: cold rejections at workplaces, repeated refusals, moments of helplessness, being unable to buy a car, unable to buy clothes, and having to rent the cheapest places she could find.

“No matter how gloomy things are, there’s always light ahead. If it’s too dark, become your own lamp. I’ve fallen countless times and had to start over. The harder you work, the easier it is for luck to find you.”

In life, we often feel that destiny is fixed and we can’t do anything about it. But we must remember: we always have a choice - whether to complain, feel sorry for ourselves, or courageously push forward. Different choices lead to different lives.

This idea echoes Viktor Frankl’s insight that even in the harshest conditions, we still retain the freedom to choose our response - a theme explored deeply in Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning .

When you choose to face adversity with courage, the pain you endure becomes your armor.

The saying “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is the truest description of Maye Musk. After all she went through, she did not collapse - instead, she can now calmly tell us: “I hope you know there is always a way out.”

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Be Adventurous, But Cautiously

A Woman Makes a Plan also teaches us a valuable lesson: taking risks is a rare quality and can sometimes determine the course of one’s life.

Her adventurous spirit came from her parents, especially her father Joshua - an independent man whose lifelong dream was to travel around the world. He even bought his own small aircraft and often took the family on trips.

In 1950, when Maye was only two, her father decided to leave Canada and move the family to Africa because he heard about the beauty of South Africa. They boarded a cargo ship and spent two months at sea. They planned to settle in an English-speaking area, but when passing through Pretoria - a Dutch-speaking city - her father found the flower-covered town so beautiful that he decided to stay.

Later, he longed to explore the Kalahari Desert in search of a “lost city,” so every winter the family embarked on a three-week journey across the desert. They carried enough food, water, and fuel to survive those three weeks.

On those trips, they faced dangerous situations: a lion entering their camp, Maye’s mother being stung by a scorpion, being chased by ostriches, and encountering crocodiles and hyenas. Yet Maye never felt afraid - she trusted her father completely. In her eyes, he was a great man: fearless, adventurous, and a master planner. Their family motto became: “Live adventurously but cautiously.”

Her parents nurtured in her the gift of being brave yet prudent through planning. This became her strongest driving force through hardship. She also learned from her father never to chase trends but to follow her own path, stay curious about the world, dare to try, dare to act, dare to break old patterns - not live by others’ expectations.

Be Beautiful From the Inside

In A Woman Makes a Plan, Maye Musk recounts that at age 15 she was invited to attend modeling school, but her modeling career stalled at 18. She believes inner beauty far outweighs outer appearance.

Once, during a casting, the director complimented her: “You are very beautiful.” But she replied boldly: “Well, isn’t that the reason I’m here?” Her answer shocked everyone and cost her the opportunity - but she never regretted it.

She knew that in modeling, the fullness of one’s inner world matters far more than looks. Even when she wasn’t getting modeling work, she could still support herself and her children through her nutrition career.

The Best Way to Raise Children Is to Let Them Be Independent

Maye Musk raised three children alone at age 31. Despite limited finances and difficult living conditions, all her children became incredibly successful. What was her secret? In A Woman Makes a Plan, she shares two principles:

1. Don’t overprotect your children

Doing so only makes them irresponsible and detached from reality. Over-pampered children easily develop communication issues and even extreme personality traits. Their independence becomes weak. Excessive indulgence harms children more than it helps.

“Don’t feel guilty about your circumstances. Instead of bringing negative energy home, cultivate optimism for your family.”

She also believes children should help with chores or simple work - this teaches them the value of money from a young age.

2. Teach good habits, but don’t decide their future for them

She says: “People always ask me how I raised such successful children. Honestly, I just let them follow their own interests.” It really is that simple. When children need their parents, support and encourage them - that’s enough.

She emphasizes that children must learn to take responsibility for their own futures. Parents and siblings can teach good habits, but should never choose what the child should become.

The Harder You Work, the Luckier You Get

“The harder you work, the luckier you’ll become.”

She believes luck appears when we consistently work hard - luck is the light created from accumulated effort. Her advice: regardless of whether you come from wealth or poverty, forget your background. When you forget it, you gain the confidence to pursue three essential things:

• Be persistent about what you want.

• Stay optimistic.

• Step out of your comfort zone.

“There is no such thing as ‘life owes you something.’ But if you never ask, the answer will always be no.”

Throughout her life, she frequently had to move to new cities. Each time, she started from scratch. Despite rejections, she always believed that if she kept sending out requests, someone would eventually respond. Maye Musk never stopped developing her knowledge in nutrition and business. Every five years, she took 75 hour-long exams to maintain professional certification. In modeling, she left her comfort zone and rediscovered herself at age 69. Her unique presence caught the attention of CoverGirl - she became the oldest ambassador in the brand’s history.

Take Care of Your Health

This is her final message in A Woman Makes a Plan. Despite being over 70, she remains fit, healthy, and energetic, thanks to her nutrition expertise.

Final Messages From A Woman Makes a Plan