'Bless And Release' Is The Best Thing To Happen To Dating In A Long Time

Dating coach Lily Womble went on plenty of chemistry-deficient dates when she was single in New York City years ago. (There were plenty of dates where sparks flew, too, but this is not a story about that.)

She recalls getting a text from a man after one particularly lackluster first date. Knowing Womble was a dating coach, he playfully asked her how she thought the date went, professionally speaking. Womble paused, then gently texted back the following: “Hey, thanks so much for hanging out. I’m not feeling a romantic connection and I wish you the best.”

Later, she thought about how she’d handled the situation. Like many singles, Womble had gone on second and third dates, waiting to see if a connection would grow. This time, though, she’d simply “blessed and released” her date.

As Womble explains in a TikTok video that’s been making the rounds lately, when you “bless and release” someone you’re seeing, you wish them well and let them go.

“You’re telling them that this isn’t right for you so you can own what you want and move forward,” she says in the clip. “When you give yourself permission to know what is right for you, you’re opening up the space for those who are better for you and better for the other person as well.”

These days, Womble is happily married and long past her “bless and release” days. In an interview with HuffPost, Womble expanded on her dating strategy.

“Basically, ‘bless and release’ is a permission slip to really want what you want and to release everyone who isn’t in alignment with what you want for your future, in a romantic context and everywhere,” said Womble, the author of the upcoming dating book “Thank You, More Please: A Feminist Guide to Breaking Dumb Dating Rules and Finding Love.”

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