Hi there, I have a huge difficulty with taking things literally. People say I look uncomfortable and tell me to "be myself" or take risks in order to find myself. So I figured if I needed to find myself, I must not be myself. If we misplace something -for example--a phone,that means we no longer have it with us. So does that mean I need to find creativity? Resourcefulness? Find these within myself?
Knowing who you are is another saying that to be honest confuses me. My last counselor was saying this to me. Then the OCD began. I started wondering if I was really Katniss Everdeen or Sir Winston Churchill or Elizabeth 1. My mom says knowing who you are means knowing your hobbies. I like music and writing.I asked one of my family members if I could be Sir Winston Churchill, and she said I couldn't because he is a man. But if I don't know who I am, maybe I'm a man and don't even know it! Obviously I know us dyspraxics take things literally ,but even now I start overthinking and over analyzing whenever somebody tries to give me pep talk. It's gotten to the point where everyone even friends family is getting annoyed, and then I become anxious and very sad and kind of withdrawn. Can someone for the life of me explain what "knowing who you are" and "be yourself"means?
It's a conundrum for many of us as we're often frightened to show our true selves due to previous negative experiences.
While your identity is to an extent influenced by your friends and family and others around you, it is yours and you can choose what you choose to like or dislike. Remember your comfort zone is yours and it's down to you how far you choose to try to step outside it at any given time. This may be scary but it can be liberating too and help you gain confidence in yourself. OCD tends to be a way to allow us to stick to routines that feel familiar/safe and it can be hard to push the boundaries. Despite our 'common label', we're all individuals with our own unique contribution to make.
I hope this response helps in some way in answering these questions for yourself? Fellow members can you add anything to my response here?
Tom
Moderator/Administrator
With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
Finding yourself generally means to find what you like doing and what you don't like doing. What hobbies, what job, the types of places you like going and the kind of people you hang around. E.G. If you spent most of your time going swimming then people would think "oh there's Poodle Lover, they're a swimmer" or whatever it may be.
Essentially what you do is what you are. Whatever you do and think is you. You are being yourself. What people may mean when they say "be yourself" is that you maybe slighly overly cautious and not so willing to try new things (although I'm not saying that is the case). What they are saying is that if you try new things and have more experiences then you will have more to talk about, more to share. You will become a more well-rounded person.
It doesn't mean you have to literally and physically find these things, as if they had been lost like a phone. Let's use your examples of resourcefulness. If you challenge yourself to things you haven't tried before then you will become more resourceful naturally. Finding yourself means discovering talents you have. Finding yourself usually happens naturally over time with the challenges you take on in life. It's not something you can find, or buy.
Knowing who you are means the same thing really. What people are saying to you is try new things, meet lots of new people, do things that are difficult that you think you cannot do (e.g. Public speaking, starting a business, rock climbing). It will make you more confident and more sure of yourself. These things can be small challenges or big challenges. Try not to overanalyse things because it can cause anxiety and anxiety can stop you trying these new things, it can stop you becoming successful. If you "know who you are" it means you have clearly defined things that you believe and do and you are confident to do these things and you are confident when talking about these things.
,but even now I start overthinking and over analyzing whenever somebody tries to give me pep talk. It's gotten to the point where everyone even friends family is getting annoyed, and then I become anxious and very sad and kind of withdrawn. 
Can someone for the life of me explain what "knowing who you are" and "be yourself"means?