Where's the conflict?

I've noticed that in my writing group, we all seem to want to paint the world with beautiful scenes and beautiful descriptions. But we're a little less inclined to put our protags on a journey with obstacles. So, why is that? What in a writer makes us not want to put them through the pain they need to go through in order to grow? I'm guessing that perhaps it has to do with something with writers not wanting pain in their own lives and taking some sort of subconscious pity on their lead characters. But in order to tell a story people want to see, we have to add the conflict. There is no story without that! Plus, I think that we fall in love with our worlds we've created and the settings we put the protags in, that we forget we're actually telling a story and not just painting a vivid world. Because believe me, if you forget the conflict, it's not going to be so vivid in the end. So when you're writing your own story, be sure you know what your protag's goal is before you even start your outline. Be sure that each scene, or at least almost every scene, has that character going after the goal, and the antag keeping her from reaching that goal. Keep having the antag stopping her every single way he can. And no matter how many times he stops her, she keeps finding ways, new ways, to push towards that goal. If you can get all these things in your story, you will have a story worth reading. And worth making! Now, I'm off to go make sure I have conflict in my outline.