The ever changing price of happiness

What is the price for success? What is truly considered success? When will I be "OK"? Is it too late for me?

Some of these questions have been resonating in my mind for a few days now. It is my belief that we all ask ourselves these questions and ask them several time throughout our lives, and, indeed, I believe the answer to each question has the ability to change depending on your current stage in life. Our particular circumstances generally end up defining how we feel and what we expect the future to become. So, really, the real question is how do we stay happy?

Happiness
If our general happiness and outlook on the future is based largely on what your circumstances are at that particular moment, and those circumstances regularly change, how can we stay happy? Is there a constant that we can hold onto? Any religious person would say that God is the only true constant. That our lives are far too complicated and unpredictable to rely on mortality.

On the other hand, a non religious person would say that religion is not constant if there is no God to provide. So they, in turn, would look for something in this life they could hold on to.

What are YOUR thoughts?

Success
One could categorize success as the funds received every month or year, or the feeling of power or importance in their lives. Another would say it is the success of his/her children and their happiness, or the happiness felt from having those children. Yet another may say it is the feeling of freedom of debt and worry of finances.

Truly, I believe it is an individual perspective of what is important to you. I believe it is innate in us to want our posterity to be happy and loved, but I also believe people can push that aside enough to make other things such as money or financial freedom more important. So the question is what is important to you? You may be surprised to realize that, despite what you WANT, something you didn't expect is more important than you supposed.

Now, I believe it is important to realize that NON of these options are necessarily wrong or right. They are merrily priorities. To me, it only become wrong when you neglect one for the other.

I have never searched for riches or fame or any type of riches. All I have ever wanted was to provide for my family, yet I did not realize how important that was to me until I got married. I absolutely HATE the fact that my wife has to work right now in order to pay the bills. So, for right now, obtaining an income is high in my priorities right now. Five years down the road, that may very well change, but as I said earlier it is determined by your current circumstance.

Ultimately, I believe your happiness is dependent on yourself. One can find happiness in the dirt and grime of the world if his/her priorities are on what they wish. Anyone that knows me knows that I, myself, struggle with this, but I do believe it. I am not saying it is easy, and I AM saying that you wont get it right away. In fact, you may get it one moment and then something may happen and you may have to rediscover it, but I do believe it is there.