A Buddhist teacher, the Vajra Regent, Osel Tendzin, once asked me what I wanted from my meditation practice. I told him I wanted to be happy. He shook his head, said (more or less) happiness is ephemeral. Contentment is a more stable (noble) goal and perhaps I had already achieved some of that. I don’t think I had then but more so now.
Yet, I’ll still take some happy!