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In order to survive in a man's working world, just put on your meanest face and look like you hate everything.

Seriously. Wear your f@#k you, I hate you face, grumble angrily instead of speak clearly, lose your temper quickly, and only talk business - nothing personal. That's how the majority of men in my line of work act toward each other, and I hate it.

I inherited most of my characteristics from my mom, since I was primarily raised by her. She gave me my appreciation for diverse music, my creativity, my compassion, my desire for education, and my sense of individuality. Unfortunately, in a masculine line of work such as construction, many of those characteristics are not welcomed. I have worked at many jobs where I am just another piece of s@#t dirtbag draining the boss's wealth. A lowly cockroach that can easily be replaced. I've learned over the years that smiling is not something you do at work. Talking about your children is not welcome. No one cares about your dreams, your goals, your fears or your worries. You are a machine, only tolerated if you are generating the boss a profit at all times.

The longer I work in such hostile environments, the closer to death I get. I seriously lose my passion for living more and more each day when I am constantly immersed in an environment of tension and negativity. I am surrounded by people like this ten hours a day - much longer than I see my own family. When I get home I am so worn out and beaten down that I have little energy left to devote to them, and they pay the price.

Women make better employers.

While I am sure there are some women who treat their employees like trash, in my experience they make work enjoyable. I had a job in Kansas City back in 2008, working for a female entrepreneur who had built a very successful manufacturing business. She started her company in her basement and grew it into a multi-million-dollar machine. She was very compassionate, making the rounds each day to talk to everyone and ask them how they were doing. Not just at work, but how their family was and how they were feeling that day. She really cared. She was almost always smiling, and actually asking us to things, rather than barking commands like a drill sergeant. She bought us lunch and took us on company outings, simply because she appreciated us and our daily efforts. Unfortunately, that job ended when the economic recession hit the Kansas City area hard in December 2008. She reluctantly had to cut staff, so there I was, unemployed, realizing I would likely have to go work for some jerk again.

My wife has a female boss, too. She loves her job, which is why she has been there for over nine years. (I only last two years at any job, but most often I quit in less than a year.) Her boss maintains her authority, but does so in a kind, caring way. She has no problem whatsoever when my wife needs time off to deal with our sick children, or other personal matters. She is really blessed to have such a healthy work environment.

So what am I doing to change my future and find happiness?

First of all, I pray. I pray that my creativity, designs, and visions will one day allow me to find independence from the daily grind and more happiness. I invest. Although I don't have a lot of excess money to dump into investments, I have a decent amount tied up in various crypto currencies. In addition to praying and investing, I continue to think of potential business ventures that I could be successful at in the future. My mind never stops churning up creative ideas, so I write them down and try to work out the kinks. When I find the perfect plan, all I can do is wait for our financial outlook to improve before I execute any of my ideas. If I can hang on a couple more years, things could be much better, and I can escape the daily negativity for good.

Thanks for reading one of my longer posts. Feel free to share your thoughts or personal experiences!