From adulation on the pitch to life as a Buddhist monk
Former footballer Kevin Lidin used to play in front of thousands of fans in Italy, but he left it all behind to experience life as a Buddhist monk in Thailand.
In 2019, the Swede won promotion from Italy’s third tier with Pisa, whose Arena Garibaldi stadium holds up to 25,000 fans.
However, despite the adulation and semi-celebrity lifestyle, injuries forced him to retire two years later and he set out in search of a more tranquil life, a journey he has shared on social media.
Lidin’s Instagram account provides a graphic portrayal of his journey, with posts of him enjoying pizza and modelling clothes, slowly being replaced by ones where he promotes healthy eating and yoga poses, before moving on to him as a monk.
In a video post pinned to the top of his page, Lidin shares footage of him on a flight last year with his long, blond hair intact, before it cuts to images of him with a shaved head and wearing the orange gown of monks recognisable in parts of Asia.
“Until I became a monk, I did not truly understand the importance of giving to other people,” Lidin wrote on Instagram. “When you give to someone, and it comes from your heart [not being forced] and the receiver accepts the gift and appreciates it.
“Happiness is experienced for both. Monks receive food, and give a blessing or a teaching in return. Without this, monks do not have food.
“Receiving food from people that are living a very simple life was difficult. But the Buddhists think that if you are not born with a lot of money, you have to give even more so that you will have a better life in your next life.
“Many Westerners do not practise giving. Because they think that happiness is money and material things.
“Giving doesn’t have to be difficult. Just simply give what you are comfortable with or help with volunteer work. It’s the intention that matters.”
Lidin still considers his football career an important part of his life, and a post of him with the Serie C promotion trophy from 2019 is also pinned.
Another post reads: “In 2021 my professional football career ended due to injuries. I started to ask myself what happiness is and what the purpose of life is.
“We often believe that becoming financially free or famous will make us happy. After studying the science of happiness, becoming a monk and practising yoga I found the answer of what happiness is.
“I learned how to get it and how to keep it.”
The 25-year-old has since returned to life outside a monastery, working as a yoga teacher in Thailand.