# Inspiring

Young Americans Celebrate 4th of July With Tsunami Cleanup

Young American volunteers marked Independence Day by continuing their remarkable clean up on behalf of Japan's tsunami survivors. And, their American-style celebration helped to lift the spirits of the struggling community there.

# Inspiring

Exploring Happiness and Its Causes at World's Largest Happiness Conference

The sixth annual Happiness and Its Causes conference in Brisbane, Australia featured four days of lectures and workshops featuring some of the world's best known happiness gurus, including the Dalai Lama. The successful conference, attended by 2000 people paying big bucks, is just the latest evidence of the recent boom in all things happiness.

# Inspiring

He Won $3.4 Million - Then Went Back to Work as Janitor

Five years ago, an Evergreen High School custodian was in the middle of bankruptcy when he won the Washington State Lottery's Quinto game -- 3.4 million dollars. But he still lives in a tiny house in Seattle and drives to work in the same car. He splurged on a new track at school.

# Inspiring

Paralyzed Bride Says 'I Do' After Getting Home Makeover and Wedding Donated

A freak accident during her bachelorette party left Rachel Chapman in a wheelchair. Despite the upheaval, there was never any doubt the two would get married.Last week Rachel finally got to wear her wedding dress, at an marriage ceremony and reception donated by the folks at 1-800-Registry, who heard their story on the Today show.

# Inspiring

Plea for Return of Late Son's Guitar Changes Thief's Heart

A family in mourning over their late son's death has something to celebrate. Four months after his death in a car crash, his bass guitar was stolen from a church where he was a pastor. Two days after the parents issued a public plea for its return, the bass guitar was left on their doorstep.

# Inspiring

Low-Income Neighbors Help Build Each Others' Houses, and Strong Community Bonds

In Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, six low-income families are moving into houses they helped build themselves, thanks to a remarkable program set up by the Interfaith Housing Alliance. Working collectively as a group, participants build their own homes and the homes of their future neighbors, and only move-in when all of the homes are completed.

# Inspiring

Girl Loses Half her Brain in Car Crash… and Gains an Amazing New Artistic Ability

Taisia Sidorova, 21, from St Petersburg, was given the last rites after an accident that left half her skull smashed and the damaged left hemisphere of her brain removed. But slowly - with the love and support of her family - she came around, and the artistic right side of her brain began compensating for lack on the left. Even though she'd never been interested in drawing before, she began to display remarkable natural talent.

# Inspiring

Plessy and Ferguson: Descendants of a Divisive Supreme Court Decision Unite

The descendants of Plessy v. Ferguson, one of the Supreme Court's landmark blunders, which upheld the constitutionality of Jim Crow laws mandating segregation have united to create a civil rights education organization bearing their famous names.