Discovering Our Talents: Turning Adversity into Purpose through the GAME Plan

In the Academy of Life Planning’s GAME Plan—Goals, Actions, Means, Execution—the Talents session plays a pivotal role in the “Goals” stage. It follows the Personal Values Assessment, where individuals explore “Who I Am.” In Talents we explore, “Why I’m Here.” Together, these form the cornerstone of authentic living and purposeful planning.

The Talents session answers a vital question: What have I been gifted to give?

Here, we explore human capital—the unique blend of natural talents, learned skills, lived experiences, and innate passions that define our ability to serve others meaningfully. This process is not merely about identifying competencies; it’s a deeply introspective Human Capital Audit.

We ask:

• What are you good at?
• What do others say you’re good at?
• What do you do better than most?

We revisit your life story. We look at your turning points. Some of those turning points are positive. Others are traumatic, even devastating. And yet, they can be our greatest assets.

Gifts Hidden in Adversity

Throughout human history—in faiths from East to West—talents have been viewed as divine gifts: bestowed by God, the Universe, Spirit, or Source. These gifts were never meant for hoarding or self-glorification. They were meant to be used in service to others.

Our purpose, then, is not a distant destination. It is the act of using our gifts to help others live more fully.

Last week, during the Rebuild & Thrive Legacy Masterclass, held in memory of Ian Davis, I was powerfully reminded of this truth. The room was filled with individuals whose lives had been upended by financial crime. For many, the pursuit of justice had consumed years of energy, leading to emotional depletion, despair, and a profound sense of futility.

They described grief. They described hopelessness. They described a society that compounded their pain.
“It was a hole in my life,” one attendee said, “where I’d been knocked back.”

But something remarkable happened when we began the Talents exercise. As we reflected on gifts, the conversation shifted. Attendees began to see their own suffering not as an end, but as a beginning. Their stories weren’t just personal tragedies—they were seeds of purpose. Nearly every person in the room said they wanted to use their experience to help others: to prevent similar harm, to offer support, to light the way for those still in darkness.

It was as if the life event—however cruel—had been a crucible through which their true calling had been revealed.

Kevin’s Story: From Ledge to Legacy

I was reminded of that transformation again today when I came across the story of Kevin Berthia—a man whose photograph standing on the ledge of the Golden Gate Bridge became an iconic image of survival.

Kevin had reached the end of hope. Overwhelmed by unspoken pain, unresolved trauma, and societal expectations, he went to the bridge to end his life. But one voice—Officer Kevin Briggs—called out to him. For 89 minutes, that voice listened without judgment. Kevin didn’t jump. He survived.

But Kevin’s story didn’t end there. For years, he buried the pain again, refusing to speak about what happened. It wasn’t until eight years later, when he faced the photograph publicly and looked Officer Briggs in the eye, that Kevin realised the depth of his transformation.

That moment sparked his purpose.
Today, Kevin is a suicide prevention advocate. He speaks to thousands, helping others find light in their darkest moments. He uses his gift—his voice, his story, his lived experience—to serve.

Kevin’s words say it all:

“Depression is a part of me, but not who I am.”

Why Talents Matter in the GAME Plan

The Talents session is not about building a CV or optimising a LinkedIn profile. It’s about recognising the sacredness of what you’ve lived through—and using it to rebuild not only your own life, but the lives of others.

Every adversity contains a seed of greatness. Every trauma has the potential to become a transformative gift. When aligned with our values and anchored in service, our talents become tools for collective healing and liberation.

This is why we begin with Who I Am and Why I’m Here.
Because before we plan money, we plan life.
Before we build wealth, we recognise the wealth we already carry.

And we use that wealth—not to extract from others—but to empower them.

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Kevin’s Story

“That’s me in the picture: Kevin Berthia on the Golden Gate Bridge. I was convinced I was going to hurl myself off but his voice made me stop and grab the railings. That’s what you see I had never been to the Golden Gate bridge before that day. I didn’t even know how to get there – I had to ask for directions.

I had never dealt with any of the problems in my life, and that morning I was overwhelmed by it all. I was adopted at six months and my adoptive parents divorced when I was 12. I had just become a father; my daughter was born prematurely and was in an incubator for eight weeks. I blamed myself.

I had never spoken to anybody about how I felt and I never accepted I had depression. Where I come from – Oakland, California – reputation is everything, so I convinced everyone I was OK. But I was tired and I couldn’t do it any more.

I parked and walked towards the bridge. As I jumped over the railings I heard someone say: “Hey, wait a minute.” I was convinced I was going to end my life , but at the last moment his voice made me stop and grab the railings. That’s what you see in the picture – me standing on the ledge. I now know that was Officer Briggs (center, leaning on the railings). He snapped me back to reality. I was on that ledge for 92 minutes, and for 89 of those I just talked. I got everything out and he listened without judging.

He tried to show me the important things in my life, focusing on my daughter. Hope came back. I put my arms up, and he and another officer helped me up and back over the railings.

There were reporters everywhere, so they covered my face and took me to San Francisco general hospital. I was exhausted. The next thing, I was at Fremont Medical Centre, where I stayed for a week.

Afterwards I went back to my old habit of burying things, and never talked about the bridge. When I discovered that the photograph was on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle, that shut me down. It just so happened that they were voting on whether to install a suicide prevention barrier the same day, so the photograph became iconic; but I wasn’t ready to deal with it.

The first time I faced the picture was eight years later, in May 2013, when I was asked to present an award to Officer Briggs at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s lifesavers dinner in New York. That was the first time I had looked him in the eye – on the bridge I had my head down. At that dinner I saw the impact of the photograph on everyone in the room and realized my story could help people.

News reports from that event got it wrong. They said I was happy and married with two children. Reporters are always after the happily-ever-after ending. I had two children, yes, but I wasn’t married, nor was I happy. I had had a lot of highs and lows in those intervening eight years. But that night was the first time I actually started to feel OK. So, really, Officer Briggs saved my life twice.

I have since become a suicide prevention advocate, encouraging people to talk through their problems rather than think about ending their lives. I now know that depression is a part of me but not who I am. I have three children and a new partner with whom I will spend the rest of my life. Now is the happily ever after.”

Source: Sustainable Human, Facebook.

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Your Money or Your Life

Unmask the highway robbers – Enjoy wealth in every area of your life!

By Steve Conley. Available on Amazon. Visit www.steve.conley.co.uk to find out more.