Holy Holey Fried Dough Discs, Batman! Life is sweet, especially when you have these little gourmet discs in it. But what do donuts teach us about life? What else do they offer except flavorful calories and tooth cavity risks?

You'll rarely find a person to turn down this Dutch delicacy of "sweetened cake fried in fat," and if they do reject... they're no friend of mine, just sayin'. I almost always prefer a yeast donut over a cake donut. So, let's learn a "bite" more about our lil' doughy pastry. WARNING: Puns are coming!

Some Fun Donut Foodie Facts

The largest donut ever made was an American-style jelly donut weighing 1.7 tons. John Haight holds a Guinness World record for donut eating, consuming 29 donuts in just over 6 minutes. In the US alone, more than 10 billion donuts are made every year, and its industry is worth about 3.6 billion dollars. Furthermore, the tasty confection has its own holidays on the first Friday of June and on November 5th. And my "Last Meal" choice would probably be a Van Dross, complete with lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, cheddar, mayo, mustard and ketchup, a side of steak fries, and a tall Dr. Pepper.

But enough fun facts... This dessert is something super special to me. My very first job was at a Dunkin' Donuts. And I've been fascinated over them ever since I saw what awaited "behind the curtain" at Krispy Kreme. You could say donuts taught me a lot about life as a "hole."

1. Donuts teach me that it's easier to have a recipe than to unmake an "olykoek."

The olykoek [ ol-i-kook ] is the Dutch grandfather of the donut, and everyone knows when it comes to life, it's impossible to "unbake a cake." As the saying goes—Proceed with a process rather than trying to reverse engineer everything. Proper planning can save you tons of headache. I like to immerse myself in research, apply what I've learned with practicality testing, and then, create my plan of execution. I wish I'd planned some things in my life more carefully, of course. However, it's rare that I'd never trade my experiences for anything else, especially if I learn a good, albeit difficult, lesson. What's the gist? A recipe is easier to follow if you've spent valuable time focusing on your skills.

2. Donuts teach me to dig deep to find the "filling."

My absolute favorite donut of all time is the Vietnamese Coffee donut at DISTRICT: Magazine.The filling... oh, I still dream of the filling; and the boba in it got me hooked. As I reminisce about taking my first bite of this tasty treat, a thought dawns on me: We all have secrets inside of us, waiting to "wow" the outside world. The revelations I get, the things I create from inspiration, and the time I make to manifest all those thoughts and ideas and emotions are all part of a wonderful secret, patiently awaiting discovery. Most of the time, the deeper you dig for that thing, the more wonderful and fulfilling the experience.

After I started following DISTRICT on Instagram, I waited two whole years to partake of their wonderful sweetmeats. Much like I've waited most of my life to start writing the things I'm writing, and making something like a podcast to "cast" my voice out into the world. Although I'm still not even sure I waited long enough, I'm erupting with secrets inside of me, and trusting myself to do and take action.

3. Donuts teach me to "sprinkle" my life with fun!

I realized recently how easy I become "all work and no play." I find it difficult to "not work" when I'm having fun—and I think my work is super fun. This girl really enjoys writing, creating, thinking, and speaking about faith and life and art. Lately, I am starting to find myself "feel" more. I feel the burnout trying to seep into the cracks of my mind—places of emptiness, exposed from exhaustion and pressure. Furthermore, my mind is working harder these days to keep up with my heart's pace. Lately, I'm more susceptible to "cabin fever" the more I stay in one place. And as a result, I've discovered how much I get into the groove of hacking away at a keyboard and clicking a mouse. I disappear from the world around me, and into my work.

I need to get better at taking breaks, and making plans for vacation, if only over the weekend or a day. A simple step, like getting up from my seat from time to time to take a walk, helps tremendously. I'm sure there's plenty I can do to help myself "enjoy life" more than from the comfort of my computer chair.

4. Donuts teach me I "donut" want to lack "coffee."

Coffee and donuts have a unique and timeless relationship. They complement each other, and yet, over time, each component has found a way into the other. I literally just wrote earlier about a Vietnamese Coffee Donut, and I also consume donut-flavored coffee.

Life is better when it's full of relationships; my love language is Quality Time. My father would always work his schedule around me by carving time into his day to "meet" me. I love making time for people when and where I can in my busy life—I'll go out of my way to meet them where they're at. When you spend time with someone, and with people, you'll ultimately have influence on them, and they'll have influence on you—it's inevitable. Statements and sayings like, "You're the company you keep," or "Guilty by association," are too true. In the Gospel story, even the disciples were associated with the Messiah, and questioned, pursued, and killed because of it.

The relationship between donuts and coffee teach use relationships build you up, inspire you, and help you grow. Coffee pairing with donuts makes donuts better and coffee better. Coffee is already awesome, and donuts are spectacular all on their own, but what a team, right? Donuts and coffee bring the very best out of each other.

Work on relationships that complement you and inspire you to become a better version of yourself. Take it from me... "Donut" make room for things in life that take away from life.

"Donut" judge me.

Maybe I just want to write about donuts, I "donut" know. It could be I love puns and fried dough. But to be honest, donuts are a big part of my life. At one point in my life, I was planning to buy a donut shop in my hometown. I had huge plans for it. But then, I realized something very important: I'm not a donut shop owner—I'm a craftsman, but in a completely different sense of the word.

Would I be successful as a donut owner? Most likely, yes; all I'd need is to: follow a well-thought plan; pour everything about myself into the endeavor; make it super fun (especially with all these puns); and create some relationships with people that could support me.

But ultimately, I wouldn't be fulfilling my purpose, and that's not what I want for you either. I immersed myself in research, and at the end of the day, donut shop owner isn't "me"—And that's ok. The right opportunity has the life-changing potential for the perfect individual who comes along and takes their leap of faith.

Why a Donut, Lo?

This world will tell you to become a muffin. Or someone will say that a bear claw is the very best thing for you. A teacher might argue the most profitable way is the path of a brownie. But if you're a donut... you cannot, and should not, be any of those other treats.

A donut is not a 7-layer cake. It's not a cupcake. You can't pass a donut to your friend if you promise them a cookie. A donut is just one goodie in the world of pastries, and with many unique varieties.

So, what exactly is a donut, you ask? A donut is one of the most versatile delicacies on the planet. You can bake or fry a donut. The donut can be made into a ring, or be puffed and filled. Donut fillings can be sweet creams, fruit glazes, or savory meats. And I haven't even begun listing the endless selection of toppings.

How to Be a Donut

The list of varieties of awesome donuts available around the world is overwhelming in it's billions. The nuances from culture to culture are intriguing, and the differences are slight, with the potential of being polar opposite within the same batch. It's really amazing to see in any part of the world, fried dough abounds. The most important lesson donuts teach is this: we're all as related to each other as we are different. It's far better to see the commonalities that others share, and to unite in that, rather than the differences that alienate us from each other.

Appreciate what people have to offer you and to teach you. Let those things help you become a better version of yourself. Allow them to inspire you to create something new or unique. And celebrate the variety that helps life stay exciting and worth living. Keep discovering and saying, "What's next?" Try new things and continually surprise yourself and others.

Being a brownie is fine. A bear claw is pretty neat. And a muffin still serves a purpose. But a donut can possess a little bit of all those things or embody the idea they present—Donuts are popular around the globe. The donut is versatile, and all-encompassing.

Be a donut in the wild, wonderful world of pastries.