I find things all the time. Living in an urban area, people seem to drop items in parks, alleys or along street curbs. Sometimes you will find a single glove, pocket change, or perhaps a charging cable. I’ve also found books and empty water bottles left behind on park benches. The extent to which some people litter is surprising.

I have watched people pick up things that have been left behind and look for the owner and then set it back down. Few people actually take the item with them. I tend to pick up trash that’s laying around and put it in a wastebasket. I found a set of car keys once and I was able to track down the owner through the gym membership tag on his key chain. He was grateful to get his keys back.

Every item lost can tell a story. Where it’s from, where it’s been, or how it got there. The question for the finder is what do you do with it. Potential exists in all things. Is it useful now or could it be at some point in the future?

The best kind of found object or unexpected discovery, are the ones where you find exactly what you need at that moment in time. This can have the impact of changing the course of a relationship or business. Making the most out of a chance interaction or found item depends on your interests and where you are going. It also helps to be open to receive it and figuring out a way to integrate it into what you are doing.

[Photo: A baseball found in the woods on a rainy day in Virginia.]