When I was a teenager I had a swim coach that used to give us versions of the same pep talk before each meet.

“Don’t tell me you’ll give me 110%,” he’d say. “Just give me 100%– your true 100%.”

Like all sports analogies, I’ve always took this to mean something grander in life than it meant in the pool: Let’s not be flippant about what we give lip service too—let’s not talk about how much we will do and how great it will be, let’s just do it. And when the proverbial race is over and we crawl out of the swimming pool of life, it will make no matter what our “time” was or if we won the race or not, because we can carry on knowing we gave it our very best.

Lately I’m baffled by disparity in the way people choose to live their lives. I’m not surprised but disappointed when I read that Utah is #1 when it comes to online porn consumption. Mormons + pornography = what happened to the Prophet’s counsel behind closed doors?

And I can’t get over the way those who crowd the news seem to seek justification by the seemingly profound (but inherently selfish) idea to “follow their heart” by having more babies or leaving their spouses, or hating on others because of their righteous beliefs. If all hearts were pure, then I would trust this notion; if all hearts were “fixed, trusting in the Lord” (Psalm 112:7), then the tendency to live this way might indeed make this world a better place. But mostly I see a duty to the heart as a way to justify selfish desires and get away with lying, cheating, divorce and broken families in a world that deems these sorts of things not only as expeceted, but profound.

What about doing what’s right? What about staying in a marriage because you are married? What about working it through? What about doing what’s right even without an audience? What about commitment to our covenants?

Elder Oaks said: “The Savior said that if we are “lukewarm,” he “will spue [us] out of [his] mouth” (Rev. 3:16). Moderation in all things is not a virtue, because it would seem to justify moderation in commitment. That is not moderation, but indifference. That kind of moderation runs counter to the divine commands to serve with all of our “heart, might, mind and strength” (D&C 4:2), to “seek … earnestly the riches of eternity” (D&C 68:31), and to be “valiant in the testimony of Jesus” (D&C 76:79). Moderation is not the answer.”

And M. Russell Ballard: “[The] brethren are not alone in their commitment to serve. Have you made the commitment to do anything the Lord asks?”

Anything?

What are you truly committed to? What do you give 100% to in your life? A calling? Your family? Your marriage? A new hobby? Service? A simple, daily habit?

And how do you do this?

Is it enough for my kids to see the scriptures on my nightstand to know I am commited to my Heavenly Father? Is it enough when they heart me talk about it? Or do my actions need to be 100%?

(This is hard. I know. So:)

What do you wish you were committed to? What do you hope your family would say you are commited to?

And simply, how do you feel about commitment? How do you feel about the term 100%?

Because I know what you’re thinking: “If we’re grading on the curve…”