just my opinion!
Happy is a relative thing. I believe if one has purpose there usually follows some sense of fulfillment. Where one finds it is one of life's tasks: to each it is different.
In the modern world we equate money with happiness but there isn't correlation. the USA is the world's most prosperous nation, yet also they most drugged out on anti depressives, so it isn't to me about money. Graveyards make little mention of money. I have associated with some very wealthy people, some earned it most picked their relatives well. I had no such luck (sarc) No matter what their profession there still was a fascination for flying.
Aviation made most of us happy, watching planes at the airport, going to the cockpit and indeed slipping the surly bonds. The industry doesn't work like that, focused on money (which is necessary but not all there is) and pilots for decades have lost their share of pie; deserved or not the game changed.
Dry feet, a warm bed and enough money to enjoy good fortune does me. I pity airline executives despite their obvious wealth for not enjoying the sheer pleasure of flying; something all pilots know. Perhaps it is simply envy that drives much of it, I don't know. I have pondered whether Willie Walsh ever regrets not flying the line anymore.
In 150 years everything we know is long forgotten, everyone on the planet deceased. What we think matters probably doesn't. I know airline executives don't!