How do I shift gears on my mountain bike?

My mountain bike only has small dashes on the levers you use to change gears... How do I know which are higher or lower gears? Is pushing the levers out taking them into higher gears...or vice versa? Or something else completely. Right now riding on a flat surface is easy, but at the slightest incline...it is really hard to pedal!

Can I get some help please?!?!?!

Taking advantage of your bike's gears is easy to learn. It's all about the difference in size between two gears. A small gear up front combined with a big gear in the back give you a lot of power but not much speed, good for going up hills. A big gear up front combined with a small gear in the back give you a lot of speed but not much power, good for going down hills. The right shifter lets you move the chain from one back gear to another. The left shifter lets you move the chain from one front gear to another. Try them to see which direction shifts from bigger to smaller gears. To start, put everything in the middle. Shift back gears as your terrain changes. When you run out of back gears, shift a front gear. This is a simplification, but it is enough to get you going.

HTH

"How do I know which are higher or lower gears?"

You can easily find out for yourself. While riding on that flat surface, practice your shifting. As you shift into lower (easier) gears, the force required to turn the cranks will lesson...but so will your distance traveled. As you practice running through the gears, you can see where the indicators ("dashes") move. Soon enough, you'll be going by feel alone and will have little concern for the indicators.

After a few minutes of practice, you should be ready to tackle the inclines.

A couple thoughts for you, since shifting seems new to you. You can lessen the risk of damage or unnecessary wear to your rear derailleur if you stop pedaling momentarily while you shift the rear gear. Once you commence pedaling, the chain will move into the new gear. For smooth shifts on the front derailleur, minimize your force on the pedals but continue to pedal. Minimizing the force allows the front derailleur to move over to the correct chainring without fighting a chain that is under tension. Continuing to pedal while doing so helps the chain make a smooth transition to the next ring.

Dear Betsy,
Usually the gears on the right handle bars are lowered as you turn the dashes up. It will be easier to climb up hills if you push up^ on the right gear shift. If you are using the left handle push down(opposite) so it's easier to go up hill. I'd like some specifics.

look at the chain Smart am i?