Don't Stop Believin'

🚉 That Midnight Train: Why We All Need to Keep Believin'

Hey friends! Let's talk about the ultimate stadium anthem, the song that instantly unites a room of strangers: Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'." 🎤

It’s often dismissed as just a fun sing-along, but if you listen closely to the lyrics, it tells a beautiful, complex story about Hope and Resilience in the face of some pretty heavy feelings. It’s a perfect metaphor for the mental health journey itself!

Theme 1: The Search for "Anywhere"

The song begins with two characters—the city boy and the small-town girl—who are both on the move:

"Just a small town girl / Livin' in a lonely world / She took the midnight train going anywhere. / Just a city boy / Born and raised in South Detroit / He took the midnight train going anywhere."

• The Shared Struggle: Notice how both characters, despite their different backgrounds, are equally lost. The girl is in a "lonely world," a feeling that speaks to deep Depression and Sadness. The boy is simply looking for an escape, a sense of purpose. They both hop on a train "going anywhere." This perfectly captures the feeling of being overwhelmed by Anxiety and Overthinking—you don't know the destination, but you know you have to leave your current situation.

• The Power of Movement: This is where Hope steps in. The act of taking that train—of moving toward anything—is an act of Resilience. They aren't paralyzed by their sadness or anxiety; they are choosing forward motion, which is often the best antidote to feeling stuck. It reminds us that sometimes, simply taking the next small step, even if the destination is unclear, is a huge win. 🚂

Theme 2: Strangers and Shadows 

As the song continues, it dives into the vulnerable reality of connecting with others when you’re carrying pain:

"Strangers waiting / Up and down the boulevard / Their shadows searching in the night / Streetlight people / Living just to find emotion."

• Seeking Connection: We are all "strangers waiting," searching for someone to see and accept us. When our Self-Worth is low, we try to hide our "shadows" (our inner struggles, our past mistakes). But the song says everyone is out there, too, with their own "shadows searching." This is a profound statement about the shared human condition!

• Finding Emotion: We are all "living just to find emotion"—meaningful feeling, not just numbness. The desire for a real, deep connection that makes us feel alive is universal. Self-Acceptance starts when we realize that our flaws and shadows don't disqualify us from this search; they are, in fact, the things that make us relatable to the "street-light people" around us. We are all messy, and that's okay. You are worthy of connection, shadows and all. ✨

🎉 Hold on to That Feeling

The brilliance of the final, repeated chorus is that it shifts the focus from the lonely struggle to the shared belief:

"Don't stop believin' / Hold on to that feeling."

What is that feeling? It's that initial spark of Hope that got the girl and boy onto the midnight train. It’s the energy you feel when you sing the song with a crowd. It's the small, powerful voice inside you that knows there's something better ahead.

The most important belief is the one you have in yourself. Even if you don't know where the train is going, trust the feeling that you are strong enough to keep moving.

What is one tiny piece of Hope—that spark—you can choose to hold onto for the rest of today?