PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament George Pantophlet says that we should look towards the future with the highest of expectations. The recent past which is the year 2013 has been an extremely challenging one in all aspects and to go into details will turn this article into a book. What the Member of Parliament is encouraging us all to do in 2014 is to be consistent, committed, and dedicated to building this beautiful country of ours called St. Maarten in a constructive and united way. To earnestly work towards ensuring true equality and justice for all, he is calling on those who have come here and made this country their home not to see or treat St. Maarten as a transition place where you just come to make money and then leave but treat this beautiful country as your home. This will have a tremendous and positive impact on this country and its people. The pendulum has swung where you have outnumbered the indigenous people of this country and are impacting our culture in real and notable way. He is calling on the indigenous St. Maarten people to maintain the culture that has made us great, friendly, accommodating, hardworking, and ambitious. He is calling on the Netherlands the European part to let us in the Caribbean part truly experience what is mentioned in Article 1 of the Kingdom Charter which says the Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of the Netherlands, Aruba, Curacao, and St. Maarten. In other words the Kingdom is not just the Netherlands the European part but all the other three countries mentioned in the Charter namely, Aruba, Curacao, and St. Maarten. The future of this country St. Maarten, its development socially and economically should be determined by its people without outside interference unless it is cooperation that is requested and needed to make it a stronger country. 2014 should be a year of progress where we must ensure that there is proper planning. I take this quote from someone who says that proper planning prevents poor performance. If you fail to plan properly you are planning to fail. We are not allowed to fail in 2014 because too many of us depend on each one of us to take care of all of us. We should all benefit from this country called St. Maarten. This is a quote from the late great freedom fighter Nelson Mandela and I quote; "It was not lack of ability that limited my people but lack of opportunity" end of quote. In closing my wife Augustine and I want to wish the people of St. Maarten a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year filled with God's Blessings. And remember the future is as bright as the promises of God. Happy New Year!