What can you say about a guy who lives in his pajamas, makes a zillion dollars exploiting women(I know, the articles are really, really thought provoking) and decides to “try” one more time at marriage?  84 and 24—that’s exactly 108 years of combined experience.  So, lotsa luck to the both of them.

All I can say, after shaking my head and having a good eye roll, is that I have become quite the cynic.  These stories seem to be laughable examples of another celebrity caricature life.

Then, you know me, I start to look for the underlying message and the possibility of something that could be a positive take-away.  There is something about these people that keeps us interested—-what is it about them that holds our attention?  I believe there’s a compelling understory.

If you can manage to look past the obvious outer shell, whether you hitch up to his perspective on life and whether you like his morals, ethics or politics, Hugh knew. 

He always knew what he wanted.  He was clear about his purpose.  He created his own world with determination. Regardless of what others thought, he went for it.  I have no idea about his business practices, or his financial acumen.  The point here is that he had an idea, he had an inner voice that he did not silence.

When we are checking out our own heart of hearts, don’t we all have a longing for this single-minded kind of focus?  Don’t we dream about making our lives happen according to the picture in our own mind’s eye?  Or, wouldn’t we all like to have such clarity around what we really want or see for ourselves, without editing our dreams to achieve some supposed societal checkmark?  Do we negotiate with our inner voice or do we let it speak to us about the truth of who we really are?

We can get all sanctimonious about the details of his Playboy life—but I think the real ire he raises is on a deeper level. This is a level of “calling” that comes to the surface when we have the courage to listen to it and do something about it.  When we see someone who has stepped into their own shoes, while we are standing on the sidelines of our lives, it is easy to find fault with them.  They are hanging out.  We are hiding out.  Hugh Hefner’s lifestyle provides rich material for us to scoff at, to be sure. 

But, truth be told, he is a symbol of someone who has found his own trajectory in life—where, clearly, 84 is just a number. Isn’t that how you would like to feel about your own life, right now?  

That’s what happens when your daily life and your purpose in life are one in the same.