'A life of happiness or a life of meaning'..or else?

That's the choice given to a character in an episode of Heroes. And it explains the difference too: A life of happiness, where one does not dwell on the past and doesn't worry about the future; Or a life of meaning, whereby one is haunted by the past and spends all the present worrying sick and working for the future around him....Obviously most people want both...But is it really feasible?
At the time I watched the episode I was wondering why another alternative wasn't considered. A life where one feels happy about what he/she had lived and done; To be able to be satisfied and feel complete.
But when I think about it, the subtle difference is that the 3rd option can only be decided or assigned as such on one's deathbed, whereas the 1st two can be a daily conscious decision.

Do I eat the tiramisu now and get fat or not eat it and be healthy? The decision is now. But whatever decision I take now will ensure my level of satisfaction if I die in the next 3seconds, 3 months or 3 centuries. Yes, I am pretty much trying to live a life of happiness most times....take it now, worry later. It feels simple enough.

Alas, it's all different when it involves other people. Other people I love, other people I fancy or care about, and other people I don't like. Still, I usually do whatever I want because why wait?? I might die in a second.