The Invisible People Who Keep You Going
(And Why You Need to Notice Them)
In every mission, someone gets the credit. Someone is called the leader. Someone gets the applause, the title, the attention. But most of the time, that person only stood there because someone else made it possible.
We like to believe we got to where we are because of our effort, our discipline, our strength. But if we’re honest, most of us can name at least a few people who supported us quietly. People who showed up without asking for attention. People who carried weight we never saw. People who made sure things kept working while we were focused on the next fight, the next goal, the next test.
John Donne said it well: no man is an island. Nothing works in isolation. Not in combat, not in business, not in relationships, not in personal growth. Everything depends on the people behind the scenes. The ones who fold the parachutes. The ones who keep the trucks fueled, the shelves stocked, the gear ready, the space safe.
The ones who stay late, clean up, fix, refill, support, and hold things together without ever stepping into the spotlight. If they stop showing up, the entire system breaks down.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the world got a brief reminder of who those people are. Delivery drivers. Warehouse workers. Sanitation crews. Factory workers. The people who kept everything moving while others stayed home. For a few months, we noticed them. Most of the world forgot again the minute life became more comfortable. The work never stopped. The recognition did.
There’s a story I once read about a Navy pilot named Charlie Plumb. He flew 75 combat missions in Vietnam before being shot down and taken captive. Years later, he was sitting in a restaurant when a man approached him and said, “You’re Plumb. I packed your parachute.” That parachute had saved his life. The man who packed it wasn’t a fellow pilot. He was a sailor who folded equipment for people he would never meet, knowing full well it might one day be the difference between life and death. Plumb admitted that he had never once thought about who packed it. He had trusted the system, never stopping to think that it was people, not systems, who made survival possible.
Most of us live our lives the same way. We assume everything will be ready. That someone will do their job. That the support we depend on will simply exist. And when it does, we rarely say anything until something fails.
In the army, we called them combat support. Logistics, kitchen, maintenance, transport, communications. The roles that don’t carry the title of “fighter” but make every fight possible. I remember coming back from long operations filthy, tired, and barely functioning, and the food was hot, the water tanks were full, the radios recharged, and the gear prepped for the next round. That didn’t happen on its own.
Someone stayed up to make sure it did. They weren’t there for glory. Some of them didn’t even want to be there. But they showed up because they knew their job mattered, even if no one was going to thank them for it.
One of the moments that stuck with me most was watching my brigade commander, Dan, a man I respected and admired, get frustrated over a basic Nokia phone. He had just wrapped up coordinating multiple units in real time across active combat zones. But then he looked at his phone and muttered, “How the hell does this thing work?” That memory still makes me laugh, but it also reminded me of something important. No one knows everything. No one can do everything. We all need support, even if we’re usually the ones giving the orders.
It’s not just in combat. In your everyday life, there have been people who filled your cup so you could keep going. Maybe it was a coach who believed in you when you were off track. Maybe it was a friend who found you a job when you had no options. Maybe it was a partner who took on extra responsibility at home so you could focus on something important. Maybe it was a parent who gave you space when you didn’t know what you were doing.
They didn’t make it about them. They made it about you. That’s why it was so easy to miss.
Most of us are trained to look forward. We focus on the next goal, the next deadline, the next achievement. We rarely pause to ask, “Who helped me get here?” We’re taught to believe we earned everything on our own. In most cases, that’s simply not true.
So, how do you recognize the ones who fill your cup?
Start by asking: Who helps you without asking for attention? Who solves problems before they land in your lap? Who notices when things are about to break and steps in quietly to fix them? Who prepares things so that you can perform, succeed, lead, or even just function? When I was younger, these roles were clear. We knew the support units were behind every successful mission. We knew who made the operations possible. But in civilian life, it’s easy to overlook. Most people only notice how much support they had once it disappears. Don’t make that mistake.
Start now. Reach out to the person who stayed up for you. The one who picked up the pieces. The one who didn’t need attention, but whose work made your life easier. Don’t wait until they’re gone. Tell them while it still matters.
And don’t forget this, someone is probably saying the same thing about you.
Maybe you showed up at the right time without knowing it. Maybe you made a call when someone needed to hear from you. Maybe you offered help without being asked. You may not know the impact you had, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t real. You don’t need a thank you. You don’t need applause. But you do need to recognize that what you did mattered.
We tend to underestimate the weight we carry for others. Because we’re used to measuring value by visibility, but some of the most powerful things you’ll ever do won’t be noticed in the moment. And they’ll still make all the difference.
So here’s the question: Who packed your parachute? Who helped you stay grounded or helped you stand when you were about to fall apart? And just as important, whose parachute are you folding now? Who needs you to show up, even if they don’t ask?
One of the first things we teach in Krav Maga is awareness. Most people think that means scanning for danger. But it also means noticing the people around you. Not just threats, but support. If you still believe you did it all alone, you haven’t been paying attention.
You are not self-made. None of us is. You’ve been helped. And now you’re in a position to help others.
Start with awareness. Take responsibility. Acknowledge what others did for you. Then do the same for someone else, not for attention, not for validation, but because it’s the right thing to do.
That’s leadership. And that’s how we keep each other going, even when no one’s watching.
Do something amazing,
Tsahi Shemesh
Founder & CEO
Krav Maga Experts
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