Age versus mental fixations

Recently, somewhere, I happened to see this singularly impressive prayer to Almighty, by someone, stepping into the middle-age - "Lord, as I'm growing pretty older, let me plead with you to please prevent me from turning persistently talkative and painfully repeating all my poor jokes/ anecdotes. In particular, hold me from hurling myself into this horrendous habit of horribly expressing, with highfalutin attitude, unsolicited opinions/ unwarranted advices, on every matter.

"Save me from the insatiable urges to straighten out everyone's skewed personal affairs. Give my mind that superb speed to swiftly get to the point, to skirt dwelling on severely insignificant/ interminable details. Grant me oodles of forbearance to listen to others, as they expound on their endless aches/pains. As they are doing it, help me to keep my lips clamped, to thwart the irrepressible urge to graphically discuss my own ailments! Make me realise the grave truth that I myself, many times, might be on the wrong track, in my thinking/-attitude.

"Keep me sufficiently sweet-natured. I don't wish to be a boring saint, nor a sour, old being, who is a shameful work of spiteful Satan! Make me thoughtful, but not tetchy, helpful but not highhanded; and completely self-reliant, yet cordially accepting favours, conferred on me. Let me not have mindset of a wiseacre, a know-all, simply because of having lived long. For, I am older, but not essentially wiser!

God, make me always foster all these aforesaid thoughts in my mind, so that when the end comes, I'd like to have few friends with me!" Incidentally, it's believed that the three dreary things, which can drastically sober down even a deadly arrogant person, are - a dreadful disease, a deluge of difficulties, and the much-detested ageing process. The last one, it seems, all the more mellows anyone down, since with age, the grim truth dawns, disclosing that howsoever invincible the person may think himself to be, still, he heads towards the grave for his final destination in his life's journey.

But surprisingly, we do come across an exclusive category of inflexible human folks, for whom none of the above seemingly intimidating factors transform them; in making them subdued, even wee whit! Yes, they are those, with warped opinions, ossified views/habits, inveterate convictions, entrenched likes/dislikes, who are cleaved to their own ideas, resisting change of any sort.

They just don't want to dislodge their old perceptions with their aggressive attitude of what "they think/ utter/do are the only 'idealistic' things". This stubbornness simply shows a feeble character, shorn of mental strength to adapt itself to several changes around. On the other hand, by being pretty amenable/ flexible to changes, we'd only be providing great comfort levels to others around, promoting overall harmony by preventing arguments and aftermath verbal wars, and in the process, proffering peace/ happiness to others and to ourselves too.