Remarkably simple, yet painfully difficult

I just finished The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. Great book, as always from Lencioni. One particular quote in the book stuck out to me:

In fact, building a strong team is both possible and remarkably simple. But it is painfully difficult.

This sentiment is also true of having ideas. If you substitute having more ideas for building a strong team, you get:

In fact, having more ideas is both possible and remarkably simple. But it is painfully difficult.

Simple because all you have to do is stop killing ideas. Painfully difficult because it is hard to overcome your own self doubt. It takes courage to present your ideas when you know they will likely get shot down. It hurts a little (or a lot) when you get ideas that don't work. And that's just getting over killing your own ideas. It's also painfully difficult to get over the habit of killing other people's ideas. "Yes, but" and its friends just keep jumping in the way.

But take heart. Now that you know to expect something painfully difficult, you know to stick it out and keep practicing your idea having skills. And if you can stick out something painfully difficult, it will put you ahead of the crowd.