All 5 Uses of

positive

in

Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen

Brian had once had an English teacher, a guy named Perpich, who was always talking about being positive, thinking positive, staying on top of things.
p. 46.1

positive = optimistic

Brian had once had an English teacher, a guy named Perpich, who was always talking about being positive, thinking positive, staying on top of things.
p. 46.1

Brian thought of him now, wondered how to stay positive and stay on top of this.
p. 46.2

And the next thought was there as well, that they might never find him, but that was panic and he fought it down and tried to stay positive.
p. 50.3 *

Definitions:

(1) (positive as in: I'm absolutely positive!)
certain (having no doubt; or used for emphasis)
(2) (positive as in: had a positive effect)
good or beneficial
(3) (positive as in: positive feedback from my boss)
approval or agreement
(4) (positive as in: a positive attitude)
optimistic (expecting or focusing good things); or agreeable
(5) (positive as in: The test came back positive.)
found a condition or substance to be present
(6) (positive as in: a positive number)
greater than zero (of a number)
(7) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
See a comprehensive dictionary for less common meanings of positive including some in the fields of electricity, physics, chemistry, medicine, philosophy, and grammar. Note that most all senses of positive indicate that something is good or present.