Mark Pollock is a motivational speaker, explorer and author. In 2016, The Good Times highlighted his efforts to help find a cure for paralysis. He himself is paralyzed from the waist down as the result of a fall from a second-storey window in 2010 and he’s been blind since 1998 when his retinas became detached.  […]

In Tuscumbia, Alabama in 1880, a baby girl was born who would make a difference to millions. Her name was Helen Keller and she was no ordinary child; at 19 months old, she contracted a disease (possibly rubella or scarlet fever) that caused her to lose her sight and hearing. As a consequence, she also […]

People helping each other Ever heard of “caremongering”? News is circulating about this new term and what’s behind it. The trend began in Canada and is spreading fast. The caremongering movement identifies the acts of kindness triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. And there are lots. According to a BBC article, they range from “delivering soup […]

What Comes Easier to Write About – Happiness or Misery? By Carol Vorvain, reproduced with permission from Writers Boon “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” That’s what Leo Tolstoy, one of the greatest writers of all time, tells us at the beginning of “Anna Karenina.” But is it […]

What’s the best way to convince armed combatants to stop fighting and return home? Remind them of the joys of Christmas, of being with their families and children, of carols and fireworks during the festive season.    Campaigns to make the fighters feel nostalgic and want to demobilize did just that in Colombia. Operation Christmas (2010), Operation […]

This comes straight from a Guardian article headlined: “Why charities should abandon shock advertising.” “Instead of using shock advertising to provoke negative emotions such as outrage and anger in an attempt to motivate the public to donate and get involved, why not create campaigns that spark positive emotions in people such as hope, compassion and […]

“Shining Hope for Communities combats gender inequality and extreme poverty in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya, by linking tuition-free schools for girls to accessible social services for all.” That’s how this non-profit organization founded in 2009 describes itself. It operates in the slum where one million people live without roads, electricity, or hospitals. Founder Kennedy Odede […]

The Good Times is not in the habit of re-posting other people’s texts, but this message of hopefulness warrants all the attention it can get. It’s a blog post written by John Yemma, Editor of The Christian Science Monitor. Click here for the entire text. This is the last paragraph: “Here are some reasons for hope: […]

A ray of hope flickers in the sky,A tiny star lights up way up high,All across the land dawns a brand new morn –This comes to pass when a child is born. A silent wish sails the seven seas,The winds of change whisper in the trees,And the walls of doubt crumble, tossed and torn –This […]