Matt Cullen Inspirational Quotes (7)

Courageous people are not afraid to fail. So often in life and in sports, we're afraid to fail. Instead, we should attack things with excitement and enthusiasm and think about the positives as opposed to the negatives.

Everyone is going to be afraid sometimes. Then you ask yourself, What am I really afraid of? Then you can address it, because there's nothing to be afraid of. It helps a lot when you just face it and put it in perspective. It gives you that courage to fight through it. As an athlete, you can't be afraid to make a mistake.

First and foremost, prayer is so helpful. But I think that you need to face your fears head on. Don't avoid them or say that you're not scared. Acknowledge it and be honest about it. It's normal to get nervous about a big game or to get nervous about an important event in your life.

My dad was so influential in my career. It was a fulfillment of every athlete's dream. I dreamed about it as a kid. We played hockey in the backyard. We had silver buckets we carried around like the Stanley Cup. It was everything that you would hope.

My mom was very spiritual. We were a Catholic family. We read the Bible at a young age. I have two brothers and a sister. We're all very close. That was part of our childhood. But when I went to college and then got drafted and played in Anaheim, it was a life changer for me. I was exposed to so many things. I was out on my own for the first time.

Of course, Jesus was the most courageous man who ever lived. He prayed and asked God to take the cup from Him before He went to the cross, but He still went because He knew that's what He was supposed to do.

Christian guys had a reputation for being soft or not being tough enough to play the game. But every chapel we've had, our team fighter has been in there. Stu Grimson is very outspoken. Dan Bylsma, the head coach at Pittsburgh, was one guy that really helped me a lot.