Being Dan Yourself L'kaf Zechus Can Actually Be Po’el Yeshuos
“Nitzavim” means standing firm and with strength. The Gemara in Bava Metziah tells us about when Rabban Gamliel was on a boat and suddenly a tidal wave threatened to capsize the entire boat, it says that he was: עָמַד עַל רַגְלָיו (stood up on his feet) and he said: לֹא לִכְבוֹדִי "My actions were not for my own honor, rather purely for Kavod Shamayim”.
He realized that he was being punished for his maltreatment of Rabbi Eliezer, and he explained himself that he had done this L'shem Shamayim; and the tidal wave disappeared.
Look how a person can be Mamash Chayav Missa, and just by standing firm and sticking up for himself he saved his life. It has been recommended that to be Zoche B'din on Rosh Hashanah, it is very K'dai (worthwhile) to speak out to Hashem your self-defense arguments, and being Dan yourself L'kaf Zechus can actually be Po’el Yeshuos and save you from the worst disasters. Indeed, R' Shlomo Wolbe Zatzal says that a person should be Dan himself L'kaf Zechus.
Just like: וֶהֱנֵי דָן אֶת כָל הָאָדָם לְכַף זְכוּת we need to judge others favorably; include yourself and be positive! Most of us are much better than we think we are. It's the new Yetzer Hara special for our Dor to insist: “But I'm really no good!" And often we need to go extreme and exaggerate our goodness, or else we run into: תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָבַדְתָּ אֶת ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ בְּשִׂמְחָה תבא כח מז the sin of not serving Hashem with Simcha which is the worst Chet (sin) and causes so much Tochacha and pain, Chas V'shalom!
It is actually a Din in Shulchan Aruch that a person should act like he has Bitachon that he'll be Zoche B'din. I know a person who was about to be fired from his job. He spent lots of time being Osek in Bitachon, and he kept telling Hashem reasons why he deserves to keep his job. In the end it was miracle of miracles; they changed their mind and he kept his job. R' Yosef Leib Bloch Zatzal says in the name of the Chasidim that: כָּתְבֵנוּ בְּסֵפֶר הַחַיִּים means we write ourselves into Sefer HaChaim and then we are actually Zoche to: חַיִים וְלֹא לַמָוֶת life, and not the opposite, Ch”v.
