Magic is a great hobby. Learning and practising new skills is very satisfying. Using your skills to amaze and amuse others can be a lot of fun. Not all of us get to perform professionally, and not everyone would want to.

But magic can still be part of your profession. Taking your hobby to work can create new opportunities to meet people, to become involved in projects, and to contribute to your employer.

A waiter or waitress can increase their tips by entertaining the customer and their children. Long waits for food can be smoothes over as a little magic makes time fly.

The doctor or dentist can put a child at ease with a magic trick or two. There are even companies that sell special selections of magic tricks especially for medical professionals. Spongeballs are replaced with spongeteeth, and dental floss is used in cut and restored string tricks.

The salesman can entertain the children for a moment on the carlot, getting them to settle down, and behave so he will do another after he speaks with their parents. A napkin, magically folded into a rose, floated gracefully and given to the receptionist, may be just the trick to getting in to see the boss and make that hard sale.

You can use magic to draw people to your booth at a tradeshow. It can be an icebreaker at a convention, allowing you to connect with people you otherwise would not.

The teacher or daycare person can entertain the children in between other activities or while waiting in line. Magic can even be incorporated into the lesson, to teach a principle or demonstrate a fact.

A nurse can delight a child with a special trick or an bring a smile to an elderly person with a twisted balloon.

Anywhere or anytime, a smile is needed or to communication needs to be opened, magic can do the trick.

You've worked hard at your hobby, and you've developed skills others do not have. In the process, you have probably developed a confidence of being in front of people that others do not have. As you develop ways to integrate these skills into everyday life, you will move beyond being a person that does tricks, and truly being a magician.

A real magician has magic everywhere they go. It is a part of them, and not just what they do. Now discover new ways to use that magic to make your life and this world a little better place.