Former Wall Street trader shares his tips to happier living after ditching his six figure salary for life of meditation and solitude at a Thai monastery

A former high-flying Wall Street trader traded the tie for a backpack and ended up among Thai monks.

Harrison Hidee, from Norwich, landed on Wall Street straight out of college, racked up six figures and quickly climbed the corporate ladder.

The 28-year-old spent most of his time in the office or entertaining clients into the early hours, and would even show up to work “in the same clothes” the next day.

After four years in the wolf den, he realized the lifestyle wasn’t for him and two years later he finally hung up the suit for good to travel.

Although his life is very different from what he is used to, he said, “I’m really happier now, from the outside I have a lot less, but actually from my perspective I have more.”

Harrison Hidee got the job straight out of college, but now says he wants to build a “more meaningful” life

Speaking to MailOnline, he said, “The more my own time was taken up with work, the more I realized that money isn’t the only measure of success.”

While Harrison was on his way to making seven figures, he said he didn’t want to become like his colleagues who “never left the office” and “didn’t have time to see their kids.”

Instead, Harrison embarked on a wellness journey, striving to live in the moment, to “take everything as it comes.” While the “simplicity came as a shock to the system,” he said he stepped into reality with a “different lens.”

As of January this year, he has set foot in Thailand, India, Bali, Turkey, Albania and more.

But a standout experience during his four-month hiatus was staying with monks at Wat Pa Tam Wua Monastery in northwestern Thailand.

Harrison was intrigued by their way of life after venturing into personal development and reading Jay Shetty’s Think Like a Monk, but nothing could have prepared him for the daily life of a monk.

Dramatically different from his Wall Street life, Harrison passed his days in silence reading the scriptures and surviving on two meals a day, which Harrison said consisted of “rice and slop.”

Harrison spent three weeks at the Wat Pa Tam Wua, accustomed to a “certain lifestyle” he “rapidly got used to” the slow way of life

Harrison told his TikTok followers that his days were “filled with meditation,” he would also read and learn Buddhist scriptures

Harrison admitted, “I was definitely used to a certain lifestyle,” but “got used to it after a while.”

He told of his three week stay at the monastery and said he would learn, meditate and read Buddhist scriptures.

He added: “We did work around the monastery, everything from clearing leaves to cleaning.”

“I just didn’t care all along, soaking it all up as it comes; I have never done that.’

Elaborating on his TikTok account, he said, “Going back to normalcy after my time in the monastery was like looking at it through a different lens, the things that used to be important seemed trivial in the grand scheme of life.

“I entered the world with a new clarity about my values.”

Harrison spent his time traveling with his girlfriend and adjusting to New York’s hectic lifestyle.

His extensive visitation with the monks certainly prepared him for a slower way of life, and having returned from his journey, Harrison now lives in Norwich.

Following his travels, Harrison now plans to build a wellness retreat in the UK, which he said he wants to make into a more “social experience.”

Harrison posts his welfare activities on his TikTok account and is now turning its attention to building a wellness center in the UK.

He advised his followers on life in the monastery, saying, ‘You have to contact a specific monastery and let them know when you plan to come, there is a short interview and they show you what your duties will be.

“You can stay as long as you like, but a minimum of four days. Food and accommodation are free, but you are asked to make a donation of your choosing.”

While many followers agreed that his experience looked “so rewarding,” some questioned how long he “lived” there, describing it more as a “vacation.”

To which Harrison replied, “If you think staying here for even one night is a vacation, you have no idea of ​​the programming here.”