Anyone have any suggestions on the best way to learn Flash?

I would recommend following tutorials and then developing your own project.

Yes, in the start you should just follow the tutorials word for word until you have a general grasp on what you're doing. That's point that you can get going on your first project.

I hardly ever use flash, and if I need to, I cheat by using my PowerPoint to Flash program, works a charm :P

Learning anything is basically the same, just follow the tutorials or advice tat someone else can give you. Always start with the easy stuff, no matter how boring it can be.

I can recommend some on-line training classes, very affordable, and very good for learning Flash. It will teach you best practices and give you a good foundation.

www.lvsonline.com has a number of Flash classes, I've gone thru all of them and it was the best way for me to learn. Instructor led, you post your homework, and you get feedback from the instructors.