MUST-READ! 11 lessons we learned from the Glamour Women of the Year

America Ferrara and Hillary Clinton via USmagazine

Talk about Girl Power! Last night Carnegie Hall was THE place to be, as the world’s most influential women were honored at the 19th Annual Glamour Women of the Year Awards.

Glamour Editor-in-Chief Cindi Leive said that, for her, the annual event is the “most electric” night of the year, before adding “except, okay, for last Tuesday", referring to last week's historic election.

CGG loved how the Hall's balcony was overflowing with teen girls from orgs like the Lower East Side Girls Club, Roots & Shoots, and the Young Women’s Leadership School. And we were moved by their passion and excitement and constant cheers for the WOTY, from a head of state to Nobel Peace Prize laureates to an Academy Award winning actress, and more.

It was a night to remember -- and here are the 11 things CGG has filed away under "never forget":

1. DO SOMETHING YOURSELF! Natalie Portman who introduced the Nobel Women’s Initiative (six of the seven living female laureates) echoed our sentiments here at Do Something when she quoted Nobel Peace Prize Winner Jody Williams, who said: "Please create the world you want to live in. Don't wait for the other guy to do it."

2. THERE'S NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT. Williams, who was awarded in 1997 for her work clearing land mines, dispensed even more wisdom, including this: "We have to take action today. We cannot wait."

3. HAVE RESPONSIBLE BACKUP. Chanel CEO and honoree, Maureen Chiquet, thanked her two "secret weapons", her husband and her assistant, and advised: "Make choices in life based on what you love."

4. CHOOSE STRONG ROLE MODELS. Honoree Tyra Banks, who has found inspiration in Cindy Crawford, Barbara Walters, and Oprah said: “One thing I want to say to you 14 to 18 year-old girls in the balcony, it is so important when you have a dream for you to find women who have walked in that path before you.”

5. LISTEN TO YOUR HEART, AND FOLLOW IT. Barbara Walters, who spoke of award winner Condoleezza Rice said that Rice, who originally was considering a career as a pianist, had "parents [who] worried that if she left music she'd wind up as a waitress at Howard Johnson." So follow YOUR dream, not anyone else's -- not even your parents! (Hey isn't that Troy Bolton's quandry in HSM3?!)

6. LISTEN TO YOUR INNER VOICE TOO. Condoleezza Rice said she found her calling one day at an International Relations class and hasn’t looked back. “I realized that you didn’t find it; IT found you.” Sometimes choosing a different path -- even when you'd already started down another -- is the way to go.

7. BUDDY UP! Olympic Gold medalist Kerri Walsh said of her fellow Glamour Award winner Misty May-Treanor: "One person can make a lot of change in the world, but it's even better when you have a teammate."

8. BEING INSPIRED IS NOT ENOUGH. Katie Couric, who introduced honorees Nujood Ali and Shada Nasser, who are fighting for the rights of child brides in Yemen, said, her favorite part of the Glamour Awards is that “the event is not just a one-night stand.” Leaving, one must ask, “What else can I do?”

9. IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU. Glamour Lifetime Achievement award winner, and revolutionary primatologist and activist Jane Goodall said that we must protect the the world that the next generations are inheriting -- and that it is not an insurmountable task. Every little thing we do helps. Her approach is threefold in taking action for “animals, people, and the environment we all share.”

10. LOVE MATTERS. Honored for her work in speaking up for women with UNIFEM, Nicole Kidman spoke of the importance of achieving balance in life. “I don't believe that you can [have it all]. But I believe you can have balance," she said. "Three and a half years ago I had a wonderful career, I had two kids, I had movie offers, an Oscar, great directors offering me things -- but I wasn't loved." She then thanked her husband Keith for showing her that love.

11. Finally, trailblazer Hillary Clinton (who was surprised by a serenade courtesy of David Cook!) told us that while the election may be over, our next President needs our help -- now maybe more than ever. She said that we must be part of the change of the new administration. Hillary’s new call for America: “Be President Elect Obama’s partners!”

Whoa! What a night!

Have anything to add? Who might you have included in that incredible group of honorees? Tina Fey? Sarah Palin? Let us know by leaving a comment below.