I am trying to find a word to represent feeling happy (but in a more content and satisfied way rather than elated) combined with a sense of security and stability in one's life.
E.g.
After many ups and downs, she finally found a steady job and settled into a comfortable long-term rental. Years of anxiety and stress had taken its toll, but she could now relax and feel _______. Things had worked out in the end.
The best I could come up with was content, but it feels a bit dry and doesn't really capture the depth of feeling.
Best Answer
Perhaps halcyon or halcyonic.
It conveys a sense of security through its definition of prosperity and tranquility. If one is calm, tranquil, happy and prosperous at once, then one is also likely feeling safe and secure. Halcyon is also a seldom used word, which may cause the reader pay close attention to the specific word rather than just the overall more generic "happy" feeling.
Source for usage of word: https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=halcyon&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Chalcyon%3B%2Cc0
1. calm; peaceful; tranquil:
2. rich; wealthy; prosperous:
3. happy; joyful; carefree:
Source: http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/halcyon