If your attitude dictates your altitude, as the expression goes, then a positive attitude will keep you soaring and a negative attitude will make you boring. So choose not to be boring. I realize maintaining a positive attitude throughout our daily encounters is a difficult task, so it is important that we remain upbeat when we can and as often as we can.

There will always be situations beyond our control. But even when things don’t go as planned, you must be able to adjust on the fly. Yes, there will be days when the pressures of being an F&I manager get the best of you, but how you deal with those situations can tag you as a winner. It’s not so much your actions that get noticed; it’s the composure you show when operating under pressure.

Bottom line, a positive attitude is a priceless possession for both personal fulfillment and career achievement. Businesses also thrive when their people have an upbeat outlook on the day. In fact, the attitude of employees can often give a store its competitive edge. If anything, things become a lot easier when you operate with a positive attitude. So to put you in the right state of mind, here are five quotes and expressions — along with a few words of advice from me — to live by.

1. “Enthusiasm is contagious. Be a carrier.”
Relationship therapist Susan Rabin is responsible for that great quote, and it can be applied in all aspects of life. See, a positive attitude is more than just thinking good thoughts; it’s using enthusiasm to put those good thoughts on display.

The best part about enthusiasm is it transforms communication into motivation. It also transmits confidence, and, as Rabin so eloquently points out with her quote, enthusiasm tends to rub off on anyone who comes in contact with it. Hey, nobody likes resentful, angry and lazy coworkers.

Enthusiasm is probably one of the greatest qualities you can possess. It draws attention and makes you attractive in both professional and personal relationships. And it can be the key to reaching your potential in any situation or experience. To put it simply, enthusiasm just gets things done more easily!

2. “People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing.”
Will Rogers certainly had a way with words. Look, there’s nothing more frustrating or deflating than hearing an F&I manager rant on about how horrible business is, how hard it’s going to be to get the deal done or how bad a deal is structured. Sales managers and dealership consultants dread F&I managers who complain about cash, lease and outside liens. And nothing frustrates them more than an F&I manager who refuses to meet with a customer until his or her demands are met. It’s those moments of negativity and needless torment that deflate, discourage, and defeat positive energy and a successful outcome.

So be easy to get along with, because nothing is more energizing than working with someone with a positive attitude. Heck, the right attitude can set the tone of the store. Look, it’s up to you to view things in a positive light. So take a look in the mirror, assess your shortcomings, refresh, renew and make every effort to be easy to work with.

3. “You can overcome your circumstances or you can let your circumstances overcome you.”
Best-selling author Richie Norton is the source of that great line. Look, there isn’t an F&I manager out there who likes when a customer shows up unexpectedly with a check in hand to take delivery. But it’s how we react to those situations that will determine the outcome of that delivery.

But what if you could prepare yourself for such situations? Better prepared equals a better result, right? See, your willingness to take action early and often during and after the sale will relieve a lot of tension when faced with those not-so ideal situations. Folks, the time is now to get off your axle and take immediate action on every deal presented to you, whether it originated online, over the phone or on the lot. Not only will you be able to minimize those unexpected situations, you’ll be prepared to offer proactive solutions to whatever issue that may arise.

4. “A bad attitude is like a flat tire. If you don’t change it, you’ll never go anywhere.”
I’m not sure who’s responsible for that great expression, but it’s certainly makes a lot of sense. Look, the difference between a pessimist and an optimist is the prior tends to focus on the problem rather than a solution. As an optimist, coworkers know they can rely on you to assist them rather than discourage them.

Look at it this way, you can have a bad day or a bad week, but a positive attitude will never allow you to have a bad month. And the secret to having a genuinely positive attitude is to choose motion over emotion.

5. “Be good to yourself, enjoy the ride and make a positive impact on your career and workplace with a positive attitude!”
The words come courtesy of professional development coach Mary Jane Paris. See, we all have a choice to either be positive or negative in any situation we face. When challenged by other people or by external factors, how you react can punish you or reward you, move you forward or stop you in your tracks.

Look, you alone can choose to react in a healthy, logical manner. You also dictate whether you’re an optimist or pessimist, attractive or distant, and, for that matter, distasteful or rewarding. Bottom line, attitude does make a difference.

Gerry Gould serves as director of training for United Development Systems Inc. Email him at gerry.gould@bobit.com.