Many greater minds than mine have analysed the concept of ‘happiness’. They argue that happiness comes from being in the moment – not worrying about what could have been or fretting about what the future holds.
This sounds like a reasonable starting point. However, I struggle to differentiate between ‘happiness’ and ‘contentment’.

Happiness is largely the passive result of attainment. One acquires goods or status, and the acquisitions in turn bestow happiness. As a result of this, happiness is a transient emotion which can evaporate upon the new desire for more ‘stuff’ or greater recognition.

Contentment Is having one’s desire bound by what one has (though that may be less than one could have wished); not disturbed by the desire of anything more, or of anything different.

Contentment puts you in the moment and accepts who you are and what you have.
Not being in the moment allows us, indeed compels us, to fret about the things that are in the past and cannot be changed, or in the future and are uncertain. Mainly we grow concerned about the future.
Concern for the children and their security. Concern for the parents and their future wellbeing. Concern for us and when we might get our moment in the sun.

Let us settle for contentment and the ‘now’. Let us smell the coffee and the new-mowed grass. Let us take action here and now to meet our concerns head on rather than fret about what the future might look like.

Now is where we are, and we should be proud of what we have achieved. Be content with now. Enjoy now. Now is where happiness, like shards of glass, will illuminate and accentuate our state of contentment.