From Pressed to Purpose | Ep. 1: You're in a Crushing Season

You're in a crushing season, and you know it. Maybe something happened suddenly that divided your life into before and after. Or maybe it's been a slow grinding pressure that just won't let up. Either way, the pain is real, and it deserves to be named.

In this first episode of From Pressed to Purpose, Dr. Alice Ward-Johnson walks you through the two types of crushing seasons, sudden and slow, and why both are valid. She also introduces the Fulcrum Mindset and explains why the pressing place is sacred ground where your anointing is being formed.

This series was created for the woman who shows up every day but barely holds it together. The one whose friends don't get it and whose family keeps saying, "Just move on." You're not alone, and you're not stuck. You're in a process.

In this episode:

• The two types of crushing seasons and how to identify which one you're in
• Why loss compounds far beyond the obvious thing you lost
• Why your crushing season might be connected to a prayer you prayed
• How the Fulcrum Mindset helps you think your way through, not just pray your way through

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🎧 New episodes are released every Tuesday by 4 AM.

If you’d like deeper support, you’re invited to join the Fulcrum Mindset Skool Community. There, you’ll find courses, guided reflections, live meetups, and a supportive group focused on real transformation.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

So let me start by saying this clearly. You're in a crushing season. And you know it. Maybe you know it because something happened that changed everything. It was a sudden blow, a moment that divided your before and then your after. Or maybe you know it because the life you dreamed of isn't coming together the way you had hoped. You thought by now things would be different. You thought the career would have taken off. You thought the business would be thriving. You thought the marriage would feel fulfilling. You even thought that you'd feel more accomplished or more secure or more something. Or maybe you know it because you've worked hard, so hard, and it isn't working out. You've done everything right. You followed all the steps, you stayed committed, you pushed through, and it's still not producing the results you expected. However, you got here, whether it hit suddenly or it built slowly, life just doesn't feel normal anymore. You're carrying weight that nobody else sees. You're showing up, you're functioning, but you're barely holding it together. And you're wondering, will I ever feel okay again? You're not imagining this. The pain is real. And the first step is not fixing it. The first step is naming it. There are two types of crushing seasons, and it's important to understand which one you're in, because they feel different, but they are both very real. The first is sudden crushing. This is when a specific event changed everything, like a job loss or betrayal, or somebody passed away, a divorce, maybe your business failed, maybe you got a life-altering diagnosis, or maybe your family is falling apart. At least that's what it feels like. This type of crushing feels like one big blow, one moment, your world just shattered. The second type of crushing is the slow crushing. This is when there's no single catastrophic event, but instead, it's like this gradual realization that the life you dreamed of isn't coming together. It's like working for years and not seeing the results you expected. It's disappointment building, maybe your hope fading, or dreams just stalling. Asking, but I did everything right. So why is this not working? And both of these types of crushings are real. If you experienced a sudden crushing, people might see it. They might understand it. They might say something like, I'm sorry for your loss, or that's terrible. But if you're experiencing a slow crushing, people might not even know. You might look fine on the outside, but inside you are suffocating under the weight of unfulfilled dreams and unmet expectations. Both matter. Both are valid, and both are why you're here. So what does sudden crushing look like? Sudden crushing is like losing a job you thought was secure. Maybe you worked there for 10 years, 12 years, or 15 years. You gave them everything you had. And then one day, they decided they were restructuring, downsizing, cutting the budget. And now, just like that, they cut you. Or maybe you had a relationship that ended. You got a divorce or a long-term relationship that you were in, you guys broke up. Maybe there was a romantic betrayal where you found out that your spouse was living a double life. And everything you thought was real, it wasn't even real. Maybe your sudden crushing was your business failing. You poured your time, your money, and your heart into it. And it didn't work out. It collapsed. And now you're dealing with the financial fallout, the debt that you're in, the bill collector's calling, and let's be honest, some shame. Maybe your sudden crushing was a family member betraying you. A parent, a sibling, somebody you thought would always be there. And now you're feeling estranged. You don't have any contact with them anymore, and it hurts every single day. Or maybe someone passed. They died. Maybe it was sudden, or maybe it was after a long illness. But they're gone. And the hole that they left within you is crushing you. Your crushing could be a health crisis, a diagnosis that changed everything, maybe a chronic illness, maybe pain in your body that just won't give up, and you're feeling like your body has betrayed you. Or maybe it's multiple losses at once. We sometimes call this the perfect storm. Maybe you had a job loss and a divorce. Your business failed, and you're feeling estranged from your family. Everything collapsing at the same time. One event or multiple events in quick succession. And everything changed in your life. That's sudden crushing. But slow crushing, slow crushing is different. It's a job or a career you worked so hard for that isn't taking off. I mean, you got the degree, you climbed the ladder. Like you did what you were supposed to do, and you're still stuck, feeling unfulfilled, wondering if this is all that there is to life. Maybe you've been building a business, but it's stagnant. You're working harder than ever, and you're not seeing the results that you hope to see. The revenue isn't growing, clients are not calling or coming, and you are exhausted, just tired. Listen, I've been there and sometimes I feel like I keep coming back there. Maybe it's the marriage that you had hoped for that just isn't working. You're staying, you're committed, but you're not happy. You're lonely even though you're not alone and you don't know what to do. Honey, I know what it feels like to be married and lonely. It got so bad for me at one point that I started Googling it to see if it was a real thing. You know how we try to figure out if anybody else has experienced this. Maybe this slow crushing for you is financial pressure that won't let up. You're working hard, so hard, and you're still one emergency away from an absolute disaster, still struggling, still worried, still living paycheck to paycheck, or wondering where your next paycheck is going to come from. Or maybe you have all the things, like everything you thought you wanted, you got it. The job, the house, the family, and still feeling empty on the inside, unfulfilled, and you're wondering, is this really it? This is being stuck despite doing everything right. You followed the steps, you worked hard, you stayed faithful, you pushed through, and it's still not working out the way you thought it would. This may be dreams that are delayed so long that they feel like they're dead. In your mind, you might be thinking, maybe next year, and that's turned into maybe never, and now you don't even know if you're allowed to hope anymore. There was really no single catastrophic event for you. Just this relentless grinding pressure that never lets up. That's the slow crushing. And it's just as real as any other type of crushing. Now, before we go any further, I need to say this clearly. You're not being dramatic, you're not being too sensitive, you're not overreacting, you're not taking it too hard, and you're not making this bigger than it is. Your pain is valid. Your struggle is real. And don't you let anyone minimize what you're going through. Don't let anybody say, just get over it, or it could be worse, or at least you have, no, no, no, no, no, no. You're in a crushing season, and crushing hurts. It's not drama. This is your reality. Here's what some people don't understand about crushing seasons. You don't just lose the obvious thing. Yeah, maybe you lost the job, but you also lost your sense of security, your routine, your identity, your confidence. Yes, maybe that relationship ended, but you also lost your trust, your hope, your belief that love is safe, your vision of the future. Yeah, maybe you had to walk away from family, but you also lost your sense of belonging, right? The people you thought would always be there, you know, your place in the world. Maybe the business failed, but you also lost your financial security, your reputation, your confidence, your belief in your own judgment. You see, loss compounds, it adds up. It's not just one thing, it's the ripple effect of what that one thing took with it: your security, your identity, your confidence, your trust, your hope, your peace, even your belonging. And that's what crushing does. It takes more than you thought you'd lose. And when you're in a crushing place, you start asking questions like, how did I get here? How did this become my life? What did I do wrong? Did I miss the signs? Could I have prevented this? Will I ever feel normal again? Or is this just who I am now? Is this my fault? Did I cause this? Do I deserve this? What now? What do I do with my life from here? How do I even begin to rebuild? Will I survive this? Because right now, I'm not sure I can. These are the questions of someone in the crushing place. And they're heavy and they don't have easy answers. But asking them means that you are processing them. And that's good. So now that we've determined that you're in a crushing season, let's go deeper. Now I need to tell you something important about this season that you're experiencing. Anointing is expensive. You might have prayed maybe years ago, maybe recently. God, use me. Anoint me. Give me influence. Give me a purpose. Give me a platform. Let me make an impact. But here's something I need you to understand. When you pray, Lord, anoint me, that translation in heaven is Lord, crush me. Because spiritual oil, the anointing, it's released through crushing. You can't have anointing without the pressing. And you can't have the oil without the crushing. The pressing place is where the anointing is formed. So if you're in a crushing season right now, I need you to recognize this. This isn't punishment. God hasn't forgotten about you. This pressing place you're in right now is where your oil is being extracted. When I look back, it was in my most desperate situations that God showed up the strongest. When I had nothing left, he gave me creativity. When my mind was crowded with fear, the Lord gave me clarity. And every time I thought I was at the end, he gave me a new beginning. This pressing place will cost you your comfort. It's gonna cost you your security, and it may even cost you some relationships. It will cost you your peace. And it will surely cost you your old identity. You won't be the same anymore. But let me tell you something. It's producing something valuable. We're gonna talk more about the oil in the coming weeks, but for now, just know the pressing place is sacred ground. And I want to help you see that clearly because if you're not careful in this space, you might become stuck here. You don't have to walk through this alone. I know what it feels like to be in a crushing season and feel like you can't talk to anybody about it. I have been there many times. Your friends don't get it, your family doesn't understand it, and people keep telling you to just move on or think positive when you're barely surviving. And here's what I need you to know. That's why I created the fulcrum mindset community. Because you need a place where you can be honest, where you can say, I'm not okay, where you can process out loud without judgment, and where you can find people who understand what you're walking through. We are either in a crushing season or we've survived the crushing season. Now, I'm gonna be honest, I tend to be a very positive person, but this community isn't about toxic positivity or pretending that everything is fine. It's about real people doing real work in real time. And it's about us supporting each other through this pressing place. I'm here to walk alongside you in the community and in your journey. You're going to realize there are people here who get it. There are people here who will support you. You're not doing this alone. That's what this community is for. It's not to tell you what you want to hear, but to walk you through what you face and how to shift your mindset to work for you, not against you. Now, I told you earlier that you have to pray your way through the pressing place. And that's true. Prayer is essential. But here's what else is true. You can't just pray your way through. You have to think your way through as well. That's what the fulcrum mindset is all about. A fulcrum is a pivot point, the place where small shifts create massive change. And your mindset is your fulcrum. And how you think about your crushing determines how you move through this crushing. If you think I'm being punished, you'll stay in shame. If you think I'm being pressed, you'll start looking for the oil. Or if you think this is random, you'll feel powerless about it. But if you think this has a purpose, you'll start processing this differently. You see, I know that your thoughts shape your emotions, and your emotions shape your actions, and your actions, they shape your results. So over the next eight weeks, we're not just going to pray through this, we're going to think through this, and we're going to apply the fulcrum mindset principles that help you shift how you see your crushing and how you process your pain and how you can move forward. Prayer without shifting your thinking keeps you stuck in the same patterns. But prayer plus transformed thinking, that's where your breakthrough is going to happen. So this week, I want you to pray. Absolutely pray. But I also want you to begin to think differently about what you're going through. I want you to ask yourself, what if this crushing isn't punishment? And I know, I know, y'all. That's hard to shift your thinking about that. But I need you to start to think about that. What if this pressure is producing something valuable? What if I'm not stuck? I'm in a process. That's the fulcrum mindset. And that's what we're going to build together prayer and transform thinking. And that's how you're going to go from pressed to purpose.