Now Tim Thomas can tell the truth. Now that’s he has led the Boston Bruins to the Stanley Cup, and now that he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP, he can admit it: he was petrified.

But he never let it show. He used a technique that everyone can use. He Acted As If. He didn’t feel confident, but he acted as if he were confident.

“I was scared,” Thomas said after his team’s 4-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. “I won’t lie. I had nerves yesterday and today.”

“I faked it as well as I could, and I faked my way all the way to the Stanley Cup.”

It is much easier to control actions than feelings. For instance, if you’re feeling sad, you can’t automatically change that feeling. But you can smile.

This lesson can come in handy anywhere: school, business and sports. You can be nervous before a presentation, but you can act confident. You can be losing the game, but you can act like a winner.

You can act differently than you feel.

Tim Thomas proved it.