2011 will not go down as a banner year for Elmwood Magic. I'm not complaining, but the rough economy has hit the magic industry as it's hit all others. I know I'm not alone. Working harder and longer hours has simply become the motto of many across the globe.

But as Christmas rolls around our hearts and heads turn towards the future and thoughts of what could be. I'm an optimist and I don't see much sense in being anything else. The world we want and the life we've imagined is not impossible to achieve. It just may require more work and longer hours - luckily we've all had a lot of practice.

Of course, we could all use a little help.

Last year I sent out a holiday challenge and I've decided that this year it needs to happen again. So here's my Christmas wish...

Pick out one trick you've wanted at Elmwood Magic - and skip it.

Use the money to help someone that needs it.

Magic is a word that is hard to define, even for magicians. Being a magician requires that you take the abstract idea of magic and turn it into some kind of reality. I think that's a big job and an important one.

I take it seriously.

This holiday season, don't just do magic - be it.

Merry Christmas everyone and best wishes for a joyous and magical holiday season.

(Click here to see the video from Skip1.org that inspired the challenge.)