Hard to believe, but June 2008 is here already. As this month unfolds and we head into summer, there's a natural inclination to take a more relaxed approach to life. We slow down a bit, we dress down, and we tend to lose some of the motivation and ambition that we were so driven with during the faster-paced colder months.

This June, however, why not break free from this habit and give yourself the opportunity to re-think the way you traditionally do things. Are you taking the right summertime steps for success? Are you making wise financial choices during vacation season? Are you becoming the person you thought you'd be? This issue will help you discover positive answers to these and other questions, using realistic steps that can comfortably fit into your current lifestyle.

As always, we encourage you to e-mail us with your comments, suggestions or contributions to our "Paths to Success" e-letter, including your ideas for possible story topics, news items, advice for novice students - anything you think would help us bring you relevant and timely information that's useful to you!

Skyrocketing gas prices are affecting summer travel plans, but there are many ways to cut vacation gas expenses and ultimately keep some money in your pocket.

Whether you are headed to the big city or great outdoors, how you drive and maintain a vehicle can either increase or decrease a vehicle's fuel efficiency and your gas costs. You can start saving money on gas even before you hit the road with a little planning and basic maintenance tips.

The Drive $marter Challenge offers money-saving gas tips and resources that cover such questions as: Where can I rent a hybrid or fuel-efficient vehicle? Where can I find public transportation at my vacation destination? Where can I find cheap gas along my vacation route?

Additionally, here are some money-saving gas tips you can put into place today.

Planning your vacation:

	Choose the right vehicle. If your family has more than one vehicle, drive the car that gets better gas mileage if possible. If your family is vacationing 300 miles from home, switching from a vehicle that averages 18 mpg to one that gets 30 mpg will save approximately $43 on fuel costs.
	Reserve the right rental. Request a vehicle in your car size class that gets the best fuel economy, and remember to fill up the tank before returning the car to the rental company, which charges much higher gas prices - and perhaps even an extra gas surcharge. Keep your gas receipts in case the rental car company requires receipts to remove a gas surcharge.

Before You Leave - Maintenance Tips:

	Inflate your tires. Keeping your tires properly inflated improves gas mileage by around 3%, saving up to 20 gallons of gasoline, or about $65 a year.
	Check and replace air filters if necessary. Replacing a clogged or dirty air filter keeps impurities from damaging the inside of your engine.
	Select the right oil. Using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil, including re-refined motor oil, improves gas mileage by 1 to 2%, resulting in annual savings of up to $40. Motor oil that says 'Energy Conserving' on the API performance symbol contains friction-reducing additives. Also, change your oil to extend the life of your vehicle, and remember to recycle used oil, which can be re-refined, to save even more money.
	Tune up. Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4%.
	Decrease your speed. Gas mileage usually decreases rapidly above 60 mph. Each five miles per hour over 60 mph is like paying an additional 20 cents per gallon for gas.
	Drive sensibly. Speeding, rapid acceleration and rapid braking can lower gas mileage by 33% at highway speeds.

While On The Road - Driving Tips:

Bottled water is out, and tap water is in, according to the May/June 2008 cover story of E - The Environmental Magazine. These days, it's tap water enthusiasts who are getting the chance to speak out. Besides the growing number of plastic water bottles hitting landfills, studies are indicating that drinking from these bottles can be harmful, too.

In Canada, the bottled water issue has reached the level of an 'uprising.' College students are staging protests, declaring "bottled water-free zones" on campus. High school activists are raising questions about why their school board members are locking them into contracts with makers of popular bottled waters when they have access to free drinking fountains. Some students have jokingly started selling bottled air for a dollar.

Richard Girard, a corporate researcher for the Ottawa-based Polaris Institute, offers his opinion, saying, "This movement is gaining momentum because the general public is starting to figure out bottled water is a scam."

Bottled water is allegedly contributing to huge amounts of waste and energy consumption. According to the Container Recycling Institute (CRI), it takes 15 million barrels of oil per year to make all of the plastic water bottles in the United States alone. Factor in global production, and you can imagine the numbers. Sending these bottles by air and truck uses even more fossil fuel, and once people drain the bottles, they rarely recycle them because they're often purchased at concert venues or airports with no recycling bins. CRI says that eight out of 10 water bottles end up in a landfill. The bottles that drift from landfills or end up as litter in streams are washing out to sea to form a huge "raft" of plastic debris in the center of the Pacific Ocean. CRI estimates that it takes 1,000 years for plastic bottles to break down.

Consumers aren't advised to reuse store-bought bottled water, or even plastic bottles made for refilling due to dangers of leaching chemicals. Research shows that clear bottles made of polycarbonate plastic can leach bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disrupting chemical that acts like estrogen in the body.

Since BPA has been linked to low sperm counts and an increased risk of breast and prostate cancer, scientists suggest avoiding reusable bottles made from plastic. They also raise serious concerns about the potential for other plastic chemicals to leach out of typical PET water bottles­, especially if they sit in the hot sun.

According to E - The Environmental Magazine, some of the best refillable bottle options come from stainless guaranteed-not-to-leach SIGG bottles made in Switzerland. The expected trend away from bottled water may boost sales of home filters, and water quality experts say most tap water is fine to drink straight from the faucet ­- especially in cities where water comes from pristine mountain reservoirs.

In the business world, nothing says success more effectively than a well-cut, sharp business suit. However, wearing such a garment can become unappealing in the sweltering heat of the summer months. Keep in mind, though, that every business has its own rules regarding "dressing down" and what is appropriate for staying cool.

As every workplace does indeed have its regulations and policies, you will want to check the company dress code before making any decisions or big purchases on your summer work attire. For example, some businesses don't allow employees to go sleeveless, wear shorts or cropped pants, wear open-toed or sling-back shoes, or other summery styles. So you don't want to spend money on new clothing for the office without allowing dress code policies to dictate your decisions.

That being said, there are some great options to include in your success wardrobe as long as your company approves of the particular styles. You will have much more luck if you work in an air-conditioned environment, as you can layer your clothing; for example, you can wear a sleeveless blouse or shirt while you're outside, and slip on a light jacket in the air conditioning so that you adhere to the rules inside and don't melt outside.

If cropped pants or capris are permitted for women, many stores offer cool yet professional pieces with crisp fabrics and cuffs to accentuate the business style.

Patterns are often inspired by menswear to add to the "success" appearance.

These bottoms are set off nicely with three-quarter sleeved jackets in contrasting colors so that the outfit achieves the appeal of a business suit, without the weight. When making a purchase, always avoid cargo pockets which can make an entire outfit look far too casual.

Men can benefit from similar cool-yet-professional styles with pants and jackets in lighter fabrics and colors. Anything with a loose fit allows better air flow and will help keep the temperature down. However, aim for cuts with a suggested pleat (not necessarily a full-out ironed pleat) to maintain the more professional appeal and avoid the look of pajama bottoms.

If you can't spend money on a whole new professional summer wardrobe, there are ways to make your current pieces work for you. For example, women's tops with low necklines can be made appropriate for the office by layering a camisole underneath. Light tank tops with stringy straps can be transformed into a tasteful accent piece if covered by a light, short-sleeved button blouse or a jacket.

If shorter pants aren't permitted, three-quarter length or long flowing skirts are much cooler than many types of business-appropriate trousers, as are appropriately styled sundresses.

When choosing new wardrobe pieces for the summertime, select items that are clearly well-made, and opt for several items in neutral colors so that you'll be able to use them for more than one summer. Don't forget to shop again at the end of the summer to pick up end-of-season sales that will give you options next year.

Materials that are appropriate for the summertime include more breathable cottons and natural fabrics, as opposed to synthetics that will cause you to sweat. Keep in mind that though linen is very cool, it wrinkles quickly and obviously. Instead, opt for a cotton-linen blend with wrinkle resistance.

As you contemplate dressing for success, now's a good time to check out the many degree programs offered through Almeda University. Click here to learn how you can be more successful on your career path and look good along the way.

We all own at least one self-help book that we've purchased on a whim to help us overcome one or several of the various challenges that we face in our lives. However, just as we all own these books, many of us haven't made it past the introductory pages or beyond the first chapter - that is, assuming that we've even cracked the spine.

The problem with self-help books is that all too frequently they are left in the shopping bag, then left on the nightstand, and then stored on the bookshelf where they never provide us with the help they'd been purchased for when we were so passionate about learning how to reach certain goals. This is a shame, because many self-help books can be beneficial in many facets of our lives -- if only to create a sense of action and provide us with a desire to really achieve goals.

Self-help books continue to be extremely popular, and as such, there are books that cover virtually every kind of life goal you may have. You might want to decrease stress, lose weight, be happier on the job, live a healthier lifestyle, be a better spouse, or practice better parenting. Whatever your objective, there is a book out there that will help you obtain it - and you probably already own a copy.

Now that summer is here, it's time to get reading. Use weekends, evenings, or other free moments (even a few minutes in the bathtub or at the side of the pool can be enough) to open up your self-help books and have a look at what they offer you.

Indeed, the odds that any self-help book out there will provide you with a perspective and a strategy that you fully agree with is unlikely. However, the true benefit to these books is that they open your eyes to thoughts and ideas that others have tried and found to be successful. And this can be key when you're striving to reach the next rung on the corporate ladder or the next level in your own growing business.

Self-help books allow you to consciously think about that end result you've been hoping for and to apply a clear strategy to achieving that goal. These books encourage you to keep your goals top-of-mind and show you various ways to start attaining them.

Many people don't stick to the plan that a book lays out for them, but they may continue to seek goals in their own way. At the very least, self-help books can serve as great tools to provide motivation and ideas for ways to get started.

If you tell yourself, "I need to lose weight," or "I need a new job," then you certainly have an end result in mind, but this doesn't mean that you have any idea how you're going to get there or even how to take the first step. Self-help books are that first step. They give you an understanding, a building desire for action, and then an action plan that you can test and then alter to your own lifestyle.

Don't let the money and desires you have invested in a self-help book go to waste. Take it down, dust it off and open it up this summer. It's time to start reading.

And speaking of goals, if seeking a better job tops your list, click here to review the Almeda University degree programs that can set your goal into action.