A friend's mother ("Gertie") recently went in for some tricky but noninvasive colon surgery. The surgeon, at one of the top hospitals in the country, was tremendously thorough in explaining the procedure and the possibility of invasive surgery if the noninvasive approach was not possible once she was on the table. And he, of course, explained the risk of short-term fecal incontinence afterwards given the area of the body where he would be working.

Being silent has always been tough for me. As a kid, when a teacher asked a question and no one responded, I always felt obligated to come up with an answer -- even if I had no confidence in what I was saying.

When I'm in charge of something, I have little difficulty feeling confident and asserting myself. It's tougher in other situations -- such as when I'm in someone else's office trying to land a business deal, or attending a party at someone else's house. Communications consultant Margo T Krasne, founder of the Speak Up Program and author of Say it with Confidence (www.margotspeakup.com) told me that she always "owns" her space even when she's a guest.

I love to exercise. Okay, I don't always love to exercise, but I love how I feel after I exercise. I don't love how I feel when I don't exercise... nor does my family, since I am usually pretty crabby when I skip for more than a day.